Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington will visit Premier League clubs this season.

Watch the video from today's Roy Hodgson Club Wembley Breakfast in the player below.

Roy Hodgson says he will spend time this season visiting football clubs as he looks to get to know more about his England stars.

The Three Lions Manager, and his assistant Ray Lewington, will head out on the road to meet managers and players up and down the country.

With only a few sessions during each international get-together for Hodgson and Lewington to work with the players, they believe the chance to see them, and their club bosses, will help as they target a place in Brazil 2014.

England face two World Cup Qualifiers in October, at home to San Marino and away in Poland, and Lewington says that as soon as they are back, their outings to clubs will begin.



“Once we get the two qualifiers out of the way in October, we have quite a big gap,” said Lewington. “Roy and I intend to go, whether separately or together, and visit every club in the Premier League away from a Saturday.

“We’ll let the players know that we’re thinking of them, have a chat with them and also the managers, the coaches, the reserve team managers, to see what’s coming through.

And Hodgson admits, having been a club coach for much of his 36 years in management, it will be great to be back in that environment.

He told an audience of Club Wembley members at an exclusive Breakfast question and answer session on Thursday morning that the visits will also help forge good relationships with the managers.

“I want to get out of the house, get to places and get the smell of that grass, so there’s an element of selfishness,” he said.

“It’ll be fun to go to the clubs and spend a bit of time there, watch training, speak to the players have lunch and a coffee with the managers, many of whom are personal friends.

“But there’s also an element of wisdom involved. We rely so heavily on the coaches and managers of clubs, who work with the players that we will eventually work with.

“It’s important we get the relationship where it’s not just a phone call once every nine months, it’s more a question of knowing them, having some sort of, if not friendship, at least the feeling of being colleagues and very good acquaintances.”

Lewington also revealed that conversations have already started after a positive meeting with Everton manager David Moyes, and he reckons the clubs will be more than happy to welcome them in.

“It’s one thing that hasn’t happened in the past, but it’s something that Roy is keen to do and it’ll be great to go out.

“We’ve had a couple of conversations prior to the start of the season, I went to see David Moyes, and it’s really good talking when they are nice and relaxed and you can talk about different players.

“You get that little bit more of an insight into them. It’s certainly something I’d have welcomed as a coach.” 

England face San Marino at Wembley Stadium on Friday 12 October. Tickets are still available, prices start from £25, and you can buy online here...