Allardyce 'honoured' to be appointed England manager

The English Football Association (FA) has appointed Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce as the new England manager on an initial two-year contract.

Allardyce succeeds Roy Hodgson, who resigned immediately after England's 2-1 loss to Iceland in the UEFA EURO 2016 round of 16. The new man said he was "honoured" to accept the position, adding: "It is no secret this is the role I have always wanted. For me, it is absolutely the best job in English football."

Allardyce's first match in charge will be a Wembley friendly on 1 September against as-yet-unnamed opponents before the team's opening 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on 4 September. The Slovaks held England 0-0 in France last month.

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The 61-year-old took the Sunderland helm last October and steered the club to safety in the Premier League, preserving his record of never having been relegated from the English top flight.

Allardyce counts Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham among his former managerial posts.

A well-travelled and no-nonsense centre-back as a player, he guided Bolton to a sixth-place finish in the 2004/05 Premier League and the next season, Wanderers' first in Europe, he oversaw the Lancashire side's run to the UEFA Cup round of 32.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn said of the appointment: "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."