Glenn Hoddle is often considered to be one of the most naturally gifted footballers England has ever produced. Unlike the typical English midfielder built around lung-bursting energy and shin-shattering tackles, Hoddle possessed a uniquely continental mixture of intelligence, vision and technique, able to decimate defenses with a single pass and score or assist with extraordinary grace. His opinion, therefore, certainly carries some weight, which is why he was able to transition into the England manager role not long after hanging up his boots in 1995, taking charge of the Three Lions for the entirety of their 1998 World Cup campaign — qualifiers included. And during that spell, Hoddle encountered a talent he has subsequently described as the best player he had the opportunity to coach.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes made his England debut during Hoddle’s tenure as manager. The midfielder represented the national side for just seven years, stepping away in 2004 to concentrate on his family life and club career. During that period, however, Scholes featured in two European Championships and two World Cups, earning more than 60 appearances for the Three Lions. And just like Hoddle, Scholes became a player known for being distinctly 'un-English'. He wasn't a great tackler - in fact, Hoddle describes it as the only flaw in his game - but his control of the ball and reading of the pitch was world-class. Looking back on Scholes receiving his first call-up to the national squad, Hoddle said:
“As soon as I became England manager, he hadn’t been in the squad, but I earmarked him and [David Beckham] straight away. What I’d seen of him, he was top, top quality. He then continued that for the next 15 years, he had everything. I’ve gone on record, saying [Scholes was the best player I coached].
“He had one thing that I think he had to improve on, it wasn’t much really. I was trying to get him to stand on his feet, not see the red mist. You could see he wanted to win the ball, and he went in sometimes and I was thinking, ‘he’s going to get sent off.’
That’s the only problem he had as a player. If that’s your only weakness, then you’ve got a chance. He was excellent. His technique was second to none.”
Hoddle's England Career Remains a Three Lions 'What If'
Both as a player and a coach, Hoddle's spells with England left fans wondering what could have been. His style of play never quite suited the tactics of his managers, while he was eventually dismissed as England coach himself in 1999 after controversial remarks he made off the field. In terms of win percentage, he remains one of England’s most successful managers, although his player management often drew criticism, with the exclusion of Paul Gascoigne from his 1998 World Cup squad standing out as a notable example.
Nonetheless, Hoddle helped usher several players into the England setup, most notably Scholes, Beckham and Michael Owen, while his preferred tactics and formation selections were expansive, progressive and attacking in nature. His 1998 side which lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout blended youth and experience, but within the next few World Cup cycles, the Three Lions' Golden Generation - featuring the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney - had begun to break through. Who knows what Hoddle could've achieved with such an impressive cohort of world-class talent at his disposal.
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