A biography of new England manager Sam Allardyce

Friday 22 Jul 2016
England manager Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager in July 2016, having agreed a two-year deal to lead the Three Lions into their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

Allardyce arrived as one of the most experienced managers in English football, having taken charge of more than 450 Premier League matches and more than 900 across all competitions.

Allardyce, who was born in Dudley in October 1954, enjoyed a near 20-year playing career with stints at Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, Millwall, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Coventry City, Huddersfield Town, Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion and Limerick.

His first steps in coaching came as player-manager of Limerick in 1991, leading them to the league title in his only season in charge.

After a spell as youth team coach at Preston, Allardyce was handed his first managerial post at Blackpool. He then took the reins at Notts County, whom he led to the Division Three title in 1998, before his celebrated eight-year stint at Bolton began.

Allardyce led the Trotters into the Premier League in 2001 followed by an appearance in the League Cup final in 2004. A sixth-place finish in 2005 brought European football to Bolton for the first time in the club's history.

He took charge of Blackburn Rovers after a brief spell at Newcastle United and only narrowly missed out on a place in a second League Cup final, losing to Aston Villa in the last four.

Allardyce left Lancashire for London when he was named manager of West Ham United in 2011. He achieved success in his first season, steering the Hammers back into the top flight via the play-off final.

His most recent managerial achievement at club level came on Wearside as he guided Sunderland to Premier League safety after only seven months in charge. When he was appointed in October 2015, the Black Cats sat 19th in the table with just three points from their first eight games.

By FA Staff