Former England boss Sam Allardyce says the FA (Football Association) must select from a “small pool” of candidates when picking Gareth Southgate’s replacement.
It comes after Southgate announced his decision to step down after eight years at the helm.
Speaking on GB News, his predecessor said Southgate should be replaced with another English manager, warning that a foreign appointment would be an “absolute disaster”.
He told Tom Harwood and Emily Carver that the FA face a difficult task if they are to follow his advice, as having such a condition limits England drastically in who they can select.
Sam Allardyce wants the next England boss to be English
PA / GB NEWS
“You have got to try and pick English if you can”, he said.
“An English manager is a must. But the pool is so, so small. That is the biggest problem.
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“With the Premier League being so dominant and being the biggest sporting brand, the pool of English managers who may be on the shortlist for England is very small.
“They might look to appoint from within again, you have got to bear in mind Gareth was appointed from within.
“Outside of that, there may not be many English managers on the shortlist. So you wonder, will they go foreign?
“For me, that would be an absolute disaster.”
Sam Allardyce joined Tom Harwood and Emily Carver on GB News
GB NEWS
Southgate’s England tenure finished in defeat with his side coming up short in their efforts to win a trophy for the first time since 1966.
Spain triumphed in Berlin 2-1 with a late Mikel Oyarzabal winner leaving the nation dejected.
It has prompted speculation as to who will replace the 53-year-old, with the likes of Lee Carsley, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe among the names linked.
Allardyce is fearful about the prospect of a non-English manager taking over, but names like Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola have been linked regardless.
Gareth Southgate celebrating England's victory at the semi-finalsPADespite his time as England boss ending in failure, Allardyce spoke in glowing terms about the man who replaced him in 2016.
“He has been outstandingly successful”, he said.
“Nobody can argue with that. We didn’t quite clinch the ultimate final we could have done but came very close twice.
“It’s the biggest job you could wish to get. Gareth jumped up from the under-21s and has grown in that position to achieve what he has.
“Credit to the staff, him and the players. You can only get so far with the group of players he has.
“We’re only determined on the success we can gain from the players you have, and we have had some quality players in the last few years.”