Glenn Hoddle: Why I wouldn’t manage Under-21s

 
PA
Andy Hodgson14 June 2013

Glenn Hoddle said today he would not be interested in managing England Under-21s unless there was an overhaul of football in this country.

Stuart Pearce’s contract as Under‑21 boss expires at the end of this month and the expectation is it will not be renewed after England failed to pick up a point at the European Under-21 Championships in Israel this month.

There have been calls for Hoddle to take charge but the former England boss says serious reforms are needed if this country is to succeed at international level.

“It wouldn’t [interest me] unless they changed the rules,” Hoddle told talkSPORT. “Why would anybody be interested in it when your better players are not going to be there with you?

“We need to look at the generations of players, how they are trained at eight, nine, ten.

“Being quick and big and strong is the icing on the cake, but can they handle the ball? Can they be marked tightly and still receive the ball? If we don’t do that, I’m afraid in the next 20 years we will still be saying the same things.

“We seriously need to look at the rules and change so much of the structure. Most of those players in the Under-21s are playing in the Championship. At this moment in time the rules need to be tightened and strengthened. Then if the England Under-21 coach gets the best and strongest team we can go on to win things.”

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