For an English coach, the opportunity to work in the national team setup is considered to be a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity that is only reserved for the best in the country. The managerial post has been held by the likes of Sir Alf Ramsey, Sir Bobby Robson and Terry Venables, all of whom could lay claim to the fact they were the top English manager at their respective times.
It is not only a huge honour, but acknowledgement that you have reached a level that very few get to. That, combined with the tantalising possibility of bringing home a major trophy for your nation to celebrate, is too good to turn down. For most, it is a dream come true. But for one, it turned into a nightmare.
All of Sam Allardyce's hard work to make it to the top of the game came crashing down in an instant, as after just one game in charge, the FA relieved him of his duties as England boss due to a tabloid scandal. Allardyce has admitted that he has not gotten over the incidents that unfolded, even years later, but did at least find solace in an unlikely place.
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England manager Sam Allardyce
Speaking in an episode of Up Front with Simon Jordan, Allardyce revealed his true feelings about his short time as the England head coach and admitted he still kicks himself for the manner in which his reign came to an abrupt end.
The former Bolton boss was sacked after just 67 days after being caught offering advice as to how to get around transfer loopholes in a sting operation where he bleieved he was set to land £400,000 for his involvement. Allardyce told the story of how he felt immediatey after his dismissal but went on to explain how a lifeline at Crystal Palace made all the difference to him.
"I still kick myself today. On the day, all they needed to do was take a bit of time to realise how false it was. I've never recovered from it. I never will. It's always 'what would I have done? What would I have achieved?' I don't dwell on it too much. It still comes into my mind sometimes, but then i go 'that's enough of that' and move on.
"Certainly at Crystal Palace, what Steve Parish said to me was 'what a load of c*** that was Sam.' But when I got to Palace I was like 'this is heaven.' I was back in football and it was going to completely absorb my mind 24/7."
Allardyce took the Crystal Palace job less than three months after he was sacked from his role as England manager and was tasked with trying to keep the Eagles in the Premier League. In the end, he would leave after 24 games, having successfully managed to keep the Selhurst Park outfit in the top flight.
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Allardyce was replaced in the England hotseat by Gareth Southgate, and he shared his opinion on how he felt Southgate had fared during his stint in charge of the national team.
"I think he's the perfect personality for the FA. I don't think there's any doubt about that," the 70-year-old brashly stated. "Before I even got interviewed, the only reason why I got the job is because Gareth turned it down. He told me so.
"What comes with inexperience we may have seen in terms of decision-making in the dugout. That is a crucial part of football. The decisions on substitutions and tactical changes is a particular area where the longer you do it, the better you get at it. Perhaps his inexperience showed that."
When asked what he would've done had he been in the same position as Southgate when England were 1-0 during the European Championship final against Italy in 2021, Allardyce claimed he would've made changes sooner to counteract the threat from the Italians, who would eventually equalise and go on to win the tournament via a penalty shootout.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 15/05/2025.