BIG SAM TURNS TO TERRY
SAM ALLARDYCE is considering a shock international recall for John Terry as he plots to make a winning start to his reign as England manager.
While that is a nod to the past, Allardyce also focused firmly on the future by hinting he is ready to promote John Stones – who did not play a single minute during Euro 2016 – as one of his back-four regulars following his Englishrecord £47.5million move to Manchester City.
Terry, now 35, has not played for England since September 2012 when he announced his international retirement, claiming his position was “untenable” following an FA misconduct charge for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand despite a court having already cleared him of the offence.
Now Allardyce is ready to clear the way with FA officials and call Terry to see if he is prepared to return to the international fold ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on September 4. “I don’t know what the political side of that might mean – if there is a political side,” he said. “I’ll have that conversation if I feel that John Terry may be a possibility.
“Is he a possibility? Maybe so. I think it depends on what John said. Maybe if I get the opportunity, I might have to give him a ring. But until I come to that selection or that process, we’ll wait and see.”
Terry won the last of his 78 caps in a World Cup qualifier against Moldova in September 2012 but, despite his age, is still regarded as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League.
While his recall remains only a possibility at this stage, Allarydce appears more certain that 22-year-old Stones is ready to step up to international level after his move to work with master coach Pep Guardiola.
He believes Stones can develop along the same lines as Gerard Pique, who left Manchester United for Barcelona with question marks whether he was good enough, and developed into one of the world’s best defenders thanks in part to Guardiola’s tutelage.
“We don’t want potential, do we?” said Allardyce. “Potential is something that’s going to be great in the future. I want it right now and John’s got a great chance of becoming ‘right now’ by working with Manchester City. With all due respect to Everton, he has got to get to a [higher] level with City because people don’t realise that Pep does focus a lot on defending, not just winning the ball back.
“Gerard Pique was a little similar [to Stones] at Manchester United until he went to Barcelona. Then he became a good defender as well as a great attribute for Barcelona in possession. So he had both. That’s why he stayed there for so long.”
Allardyce also made it clear Wayne Rooney remains firmly in his plans both as a player and as captain, although he will confirm the latter early next week after naming his first squad on Sunday.
After starting last season as a striker and finishing it as a midfield player, Rooney is now playing for Manchester United in the No10 role, just behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and that is where Allardyce sees as his best position.
“He’s England captain, he’s the most successful England player for the last decade, he’s broken every record at this level so, yes, we should talk very much about Wayne and about how good he is, what a fantastic player he is and what a really, really good captain he is,” said Allardyce.
“His best position is where he’s being played now because that’s the manager of Manchester United telling him where he wants him to play with Zlatan.”
Whether it is Rooney or others, Allardyce says he is a great believer in positional flexibility among his players.
“Why can’t we be flexible? Over the last 25 years, success has come about by asking the players to be flexible and play in a position that sometimes they don’t normally play and be successful in that position.
“I’ve changed players’ opinions on what their position has been and played them in a new position and when I’ve asked them to go back to their old position they’ve said, ‘I don’t want to go any more’.
“So flexible, yes. If you are playing for England, sure it’s about playing in the first XI, no matter where you play.”