Coppell - Pearce among greats

Reading manager Steve Coppell believes Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce must be regarded as one of England's all-time great players.

Indeed, when he was manager of Crystal Palace at the time when Pearce was protecting the left flank of the Nottingham Forest defence with his no-nonsense style, Coppell instructed his players to man-mark him.

He said: "He was a tremendous player and proven to be a very good manager. When my Palace teams used to play against Forest ironically we used to cater for him. He was the left-back but we used to man-to-man mark him because he was that powerful a player in club football."

He added: "Certainly for a few years he was without doubt by far and away the best left-back in the world - and there were a few contenders at that time. He influenced games massively from a left-back position.

"As a manager he very quietly learned his trade in the background. He was on the fringes for a few years, which I think is always advisable, and that was of benefit to him.

"He is a deep thinker about the game and has worked hard to get where he is so credit to him. I have not been on any of the coaching courses he has but my staff have and they said he is that.

"When you see him give interviews there is not much off the cuff. He thinks carefully about what he says and the intent behind his words."

Coppell also has Manchester City on his CV, having been appointed manager there almost exactly 10 years ago in October 1996.

He lasted just 33 days however, resigning amid circumstances that remain unclear.

He added: "I'm not going to explain. I only ever look forward. I don't want to talk about it, which I have said about 300 times over the years."