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Sir Geoff Hurst: Sam Allardyce is interesting but I pick Glenn Hoddle for England manager

Undated handout photo provided by McDonalds of Sir Geoff Hurst, who has backed Glenn Hoddle to be the new England manager - calling on the Football Associa
Image: Sir Geoff Hurst has backed Glenn Hoddle to be the next England manager

Sir Geoff Hurst believes Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce would make an interesting England manager but Glenn Hoddle is his pick to succeed Roy Hodgson.

The England great - scorer of a famous hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final - insists the next manager has to be English and the FA must also implement plans for managerial succession.

He said: "There are some candidates who spring to my mind who have been around - Sam Allardyce, for example.

"He is enormously experienced and it would be interesting to see what he would do, but if I had to select a candidate I think it would be Glenn Hoddle, who has said he would talk to the FA.

"We should be looking at definitely appointing an English manager. I have got to stick with my view - for me it has got to be an Englishman now. I felt years ago we should get the best man worldwide but, having seen one or two of the foreign coaches, I have changed my mind.

Michael Owen and Gary Neville of England receive instructions from Glenn Hoddle during the World Cup match against Argentina in 1998
Image: Hoddle (left) took England to the 1998 World Cup knockout stages

"But we are at a limited choice. At my time you generally selected the England manager from the outstanding manager in the First Division, but nowadays all the top clubs are managed by foreign managers."

Former England boss Steve McClaren told Sky Sports News HQ on Monday that he also thinks the FA should implement plans for managerial succession, and Hurst used Bobby Robson and Terry Venables as examples to illustrate his case. 

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Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce reacts
Image: Sam Allardyce kept Sunderland in the Premier League last season

"When Ron Greenwood got the job in 1977, for five years, he cleverly appointed Bobby Robson to be the manager of the B team and Terry Venables to manage the Under-23 side," Hurst said.

"Fast-forward many years, Bobby nearly won the World Cup in 1990 and Venables nearly won the Euros in 1996. Maybe we should be looking at that kind of progression again, if it proves to be successful."

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