Allardyce to be named England manager

Sam Allardyce is expected to be named as the new England manager within the next 24 hours.

Allardyce emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace Roy Hodgson, who resigned after the defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, and the 61-year-old was last week granted permission to speak to the Football Association by Sunderland.

Steve Bruce also spoke to the FA but Allardyce has long been tipped to take over the national team and his appointment is expected to be ratified at an FA board meeting on Thursday.

Allardyce has led Notts County, Bolton and West Ham to promotion during a 25-year managerial career, and last year kept Sunderland in the Premier League. He was interviewed for the England job following Sven-Goran Eriksson's departure in 2006 but lost out to Steve McLaren.

With a year to run on his contract at the Stadium of Light, the FA will have to agree a compensation package with Sunderland.

News of Allardyce's imminent appointment came just hours after FA chief executive Martin Glenn revealed they were close to making a decision on Hodgson's successor.

"The new manager has got to be someone who can inspire people to get the best out of themselves, build resilience and unashamedly adopt the kind of psychological techniques that other sports and other football teams have done, to really inspire people that when they put their England jersey on they play as well for England as they do for their club," Glenn told BBC Sport.

Allardyce's first competitive hame in charge will be the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on September 4.

Meawhile, Sunderland must begin the search for a new manager with just over three weeks until the start of the Premier League season.