Hodgson tips Southgate, takes aim at media

Roy Hodgson has endorsed the appointment of Gareth Southgate as the replacement for Sam Allardyce as England manager - and taken aim at the English media.

The former England manager addressed many issues in a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio 5 Live including the disastrous exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland.

"I don't know whether you ever get over things that cause you pain," he said.

"You probably shouldn't relate it to death and the family but where grieving is involved and things matter to you a lot, do you ever get over it? I suppose there's always going to be a scar.

"I don't intend to grieve any longer and I certainly don't intend to let it haunt me.

"If we're going to move on as a team, and they're going to move on as players, then it has to be put to rest.

"They have to be allowed to take the plaudits, which I know will come their way in the future games.

"They're going to be good.

"I just hope they're going to be given the chance to be good and not constantly held back by people trying to lay the sins of the past upon them."

"I didn't realise I had a speech impediment until I came back to England," he continued.

"I spent the whole of my life working abroad and no-one mentioned it. I came back to England and suddenly realised I had a speech impediment.

"I don't think anything's cruel - if you're so sensitive these days that you see cruelty everywhere, unfortunately every time a comedian comes on television, you're going to accuse him of cruelty, because that's the kind of humour that the English people enjoy."

Hodgson then opened up on the appointment of Southgate.

"It's a good appointment, like everyone else I endorse it," he said.

"He comes into the job with a lot of credibility and a lot of goodwill, so I think he's in a good position to take the team forward.

"He's choosing the right players. I'm convinced these are the guys who will lead us forward, and there's still a few good ones to come in.

"Luke Shaw, Jack Butland, Danny Welbeck, John Stones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - there's quite a few players we couldn't use this summer, but I'm certain Gareth will find them useful because they have the potential and the capacity to play at that level."

eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 6 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer.