Allardyce 'honoured' to become England manager

Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager on Friday on a two-year contract, tasked with the job of restoring pride in the national team after their dismal performances at Euro 2016.

Allardyce, at Sunderland since October, will replace Roy Hodgson, who stepped down following England's shock European Championship defeat by Iceland in the round of 16 last month.

"I am extremely honoured to be appointed England manager especially as it is no secret that this is the role I have always wanted. For me, it is absolutely the best job in English football," Allardyce said in a statement.

"I will do everything I can to help England do well and give our nation the success our fans deserve. Above all, we have to make the people and the whole country proud."

Allardyce has previously managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, but much of his coaching career has been spent scrapping in the bottom half of the table rather than challenging for Premier League title.

He had been the favourite for the job since Sunderland confirmed last week that they had given the FA permission to speak to their manager about the vacant England position.

HullCity manager Steve Bruce was also interviewed for the post while British media reported that the FA had spoken to United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann and Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.

Allardyce was first interviewed for the England position following Sven-Goran Eriksson's departure after the 2006 World Cup but he was overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren.

England have not reached the semi-finals of a major tournament since they lost to Germany as hosts of Euro 96.

"Sam Allardyce is the right man for the England job," FA chief executive Martin Glenn said.

"His excellent managerial credentials, including his ability to realise the potential of players and teams, develop a strong team ethos and embrace modern methods that enhance performance, made him the outstanding choice."

Factbox on new England manager Sam Allardyce, who was appointed to replace Roy Hodgson on Friday.

Born: October 19, 1954 in Dudley, England

Playing career:

* Allardyce began his playing career at Bolton Wanderers where he spent nine years until 1980 and made more than 200 appearances.

* He spent the next 12 years as a journeyman professional with stints at clubs including Sunderland, Millwall, Tampa Bay Rowdies, CoventryCity, HuddersfieldTown, a second spell at Bolton, Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion.

Coaching career:

* Allardyce's first step into management came as a player-coach at West Bromwich Albion and after various different coaching roles his first permanent job as a manager came at Blackpool in 1994.

* After a spell at NottsCounty he joined second tier Bolton in 1999 and led them to the semi-finals of the League and FA Cups in 2000.

* Bolton were promoted to the Premier League in 2001 and after keeping them clear of relegation he achieved a sixth place top-flight finish in 2005, before leading them into Europe in the UEFA Cup.

* He joined Newcastle United in May 2007, but left in January 2008 after a poor run of results.

* He joined Blackburn Rovers in December 2008 and led them to the League Cup semi-final in 2010, but, following the sale of the club to new owners, he was sacked later that year with the team 13th in the Premier League.

* He joined West Ham United in 2011 and took them up to the Premier League at the end of his first season in charge.

* Allardyce secured three mid-table top-flight finishes with West Ham, but some fans were unhappy with his style of football and he left in 2015 when his contract expired.

* He joined Sunderland in October 2015 with the club 19th in the Premier League, but steered them to safety with a 17th-place finish.

* The club guaranteed their top-flight status with a 3-0 win over Everton that also ensured their rivals Newcastle United were relegated.

Image: Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce

Photograph: Lee Smith Livepic/Action Images via Reuters