Shakespeare: No need for Allardyce to apologise over England job

Joe Williams

Craig Shakespeare: Part of Sam Allardyce's England coaching team

Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare insists Sam Allardyce has no need to apologise for his England dream ending.

The 53-year-old Foxes manager says there are no hard feelings ahead of their Premier League reunion on Saturday.

Allardyce’s England reign lasted just 67 days when he left in September having been caught up in an undercover newspaper sting, with Shakespeare spending 10 days as first-team coach with the Three Lions.

He was on the staff for September’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying win in Slovakia but made the call to leave when Gareth Southgate took over as senior manager.

And ahead of Saturday’s trip to Allardyce’s Crystal Palace, Shakespeare bears no grudge.

“I didn’t think he needed to apologise, if I’m honest,” he said. “I couldn’t have any effect at the time.

“I was a coach under him, it came down to the fact that he lost his job, I knew that it might have a snowball effect for other members of staff and unfortunately I was one of them.

“The 10 days at St George’s and the game will live with me forever. I got the chance to work with people like Wayne Rooney who comes under a lot of stick but I saw at close quarters what a professional he is, and a leader he is and a great player he is.

“I would never have had those experiences before. I just took the phone call from Sam to see if I’d be interested in it. I had to make sure it wasn’t a prank call and thankfully it wasn’t.

“I did get asked by the FA to stay on and it was one of those where I felt at the time that the right thing to do was let Gareth and Steve Holland get on because they needed to qualify.”

Shakespeare has since become Leicester boss until the end of the season after Claudio Ranieri’s February sacking and admitted he has gone to Allardyce for advice.

“Yes, I’ve made phone calls, he’s phoned me. It was really impressive the short time I had with him,” said Shakespeare, who saw his side lose their Champions League quarter-final first leg 1-0 to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

“If ever you need some advice with the experience he’s got, he definitely would be one of the people I’d turn to.

“If ever I thought there was a problem, I’d probably need someone with his experience to give me advice. He hasn’t called this week, he’d probably have got an international tone.”