Sunderland's Allardyce set for England interview this week: FA keen amid contract clause

SAM ALLARDYCE will be interviewed for the England job this week.

Sam AllardyceGETTY

Sam Allardyce has led Bolton, Blackburn, Newcastle, West Ham and Sunderland in the Premier League

The Sunderland manager is emerging as a leading contender for the vacancy a decade after he was first overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren.

USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann is among the other candidates being considered as the FA press ahead with its search for Roy Hodgson’s successor, although on Sunday Arsene Wenger effectively ruled himself out of the running after insisting he will not break his contract with Arsenal.

Allarydce will be given the chance to make his pitch in the coming days with Sunderland having been made aware of the FA’s interest. He has an exit clause in his contract.

His credentials have been championed by Sir Alex Ferguson to David Gill, the former Manchester United CEO who is part of the three-man panel charged with picking the next England manager.

“I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. I have always respected all my contacts [throughout my career] and will continue to do that.

“What will I do after that? Honestly, I don’t know.”

Wenger revealed he was shell-shocked by England’s demise at Euro 2016 to minnows Iceland, but sensed during the 2-1 defeat they were not going to overturn the deficit.

“England is my second country,” he said. “I was absolutely on my knees when England went out against Iceland. I couldn’t believe it.

“But when you watched the game you could sense, after 60 minutes, that the worst could happen. Did they panic or were they tired? I don’t know, but England couldn’t find an answer to what Iceland posed.”

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