Allardyce wins race to succeed Hodgson

SAM ALLARDYCE is set to be appointed the new England manager within 24 hours.

The 61-year-old Sunderland manager arrived at Victoria Park for his club’s pre-season friendly against Hartlepool shortly after 6pm yesterday as news emerged that he is expected to be named as Roy Hodgson’s successor following a Football Association board meeting yesterday.

It is a dream appointment for the former Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham manager, who lost out to Steve McClaren 10 years ago.

Word of Allardyce’s imminent departure from Wearside came just hours after FA chief executive Martin Glenn revealed the governing body was close to making a decision, but insisted they would not be rushed. The only issue still to be settled is compensation to Sunderland, with Allardyce having a year left on his contract at the Stadium of Light.

The Sunderland manager has been the bookmakers’ favourite since it emerged he had held talks with the three-man panel – Glenn, vice-chairman David Gill and technical director Dan Ashworth – charged with the task of finding the new man after leaving the club’s pre-season training camp in Austria last week.

Discussions have also been held with Hull counterpart Steve Bruce, while Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe and United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann are also understood to have figured prominently on the FA’s shortlist.

Allardyce will face the task of picking up the pieces after a disastrous Euro 2016 finals campaign at which England were dumped out of the competition by Iceland in ignominious fashion. His first competitive game in charge will be a World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on 4 September.

However, his remit will be wider than just the senior international