Roy Hodgson speaks about managing England's present and future prospects

By Nicholas Veevers

Roy Hodgson says English players must strive to improve enough to become fully established at the top level with their clubs.

The England manager was speaking at the Institute Of Directors’ Winter Lunch in London on Friday afternoon.

And when asked about players in his squad who are often overlooked for their club sides, Hodgson was clear in his response.

He said: "Clubs will do what they have to do and I can't expect that a manager who is under pressure to get results is thinking long-term for the benefits of the English national side.

"If he thinks his interests are best served by getting a player from Montenegro, Russia or Israel, they're entitled to do that.

"Rather than complain that there are a lot of foreign players, let’s turn it on its head and make certain that our players do better.

"Take Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for example, who plays some games but not others. He has got to become so good that Arsene Wenger doesn't want to look elsewhere.

"That's what I've got to hope for and that's got to be their ambition.”

With the emergence of younger players like Oxlade-Chamberlain and Raheem Sterling, Hodgson knows the challenge he faces in finding the right balance between success now and development for the future.

"You can't constantly look towards the future, because you need to win in the present,” he added.

"But one of my concerns for England has always been that we're not trying to win in the present, we're trying to win in the past and we can't do that.

"I know there's 1966 and that it's 50 years and that we've failed here and there and missed penalty shoot-outs, but unfortunately there's not very much I can do now to change anything that's historical.

"You can't turn back the clock and you can't win yesterday. You can only win today and while winning today, you can only have an eye on how we can win tomorrow.”