Sam Allardyce Will Be The New England Manager

In England’s Greatest Need, the country has a new hero. That hero is Big Sam.

The BBC is reporting that Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce will be confirmed as the next manager of the England national football team. The official announcement is set to be made within the next 24 hours.

The 61-year-old— who previously managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle, Blackburn Rovers, and West Ham— was appointed to replace Roy Hodgson, who resigned following a Euro 2016 campaign that failed to meet expectations. Allardyce beat out a short-list of fellow candidates that included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, and USMNT boss Jürgen Klinsmann.

The Evening Standard first reported on the imminent announcement earlier today. The sentiment appears to be that, tactics notwithstanding, the FA were impressed by Allardyce’s ability to build a team identity and encourage high work-rates among the squad.

Allardyce won’t have much time to acclimate to the new job. World Cup qualifiers start in September, and while expectations for England managers are always high, the level of scrutiny for Allardyce could be at an all-time high.

Meanwhile, Sunderland are reportedly in advanced talks to name former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes as their new manager.