Sir Trevor Brooking has backed Sam Allardyce to get the best out of England’s players if he is appointed as Roy Hodgson’s successor.
The Football Association are searching for a new manager after Hodgson resigned in the aftermath of England's dismal Euro 2016 campaign which ended in defeat to minnows Iceland.
Sunderland manager Allardyce has become the frontrunner for the role, holding talks with the FA earlier this week, and Brooking believes he would be a good choice.
"These players are very talented technically – we even saw that in France," the former FA director of football development told The Sun. "But they were found wanting in terms of mental toughness.
See also:
• FA given permission to speak to Sam Allardyce but speculation is 'damaging to Sunderland'
“In the Iceland game, I saw players moving into positions where they could hide. It’s easy to blame the man in possession – often Wayne Rooney – but there weren’t passing options for him to knock the ball into.
“There’s an overhead camera and I think it would be pretty damning for that game. That was the most disappointing thing for me to see.
“That’s the thing about Sam – he’s always made the best use of the players available.
“He got West Ham back into the top flight and made Sunderland stronger mentally and defensively.
“Combine that with the technical ability of these England players and I think you have a decent mix. The next manager has to be English and Sam is very experienced and organised.”
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