SAM ALLARDYCE IS reportedly interested in becoming the next manager of the United States.
The 62-year-old, whose tenure as England boss infamously lasted just 67 days before he was sacked last September following a newspaper sting operation, was last at Crystal Palace and helped them avoid relegation before electing to step down in May.
However, it seems – according to sources close to him – that the US role appeals to him.
With the side having suffered the humiliation of failing to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in Russia after defeat in their final game to Trinidad and Tobago, Bruce Arena subsequently resigned as coach and the team now won’t play any competitive fixture until 2019.
That does allow US Soccer to take its time before choosing Arena’s successor and Allardyce is said to be keen on developing a long-term strategy and possibly enjoying a wider remit if in charge of the United States.
A long-time devotee of sports science and analytics, it was when Allardyce was at Tampa Bay as a player in the early 1980s that his eyes were opened to the world of high-end conditioning and data. His short time in the US had a big impact on his subsequent coaching career and he has since described it as a ‘life-changing experience’.
It remains to be seen what direction US Soccer will go in regarding the senior team’s next manager. Of the rumoured candidates, the majority are based in Major League Soccer but other influential voices – most notably veteran US player Jermaine Jones – have stressed that the best available coach should be hired, regardless of where they’re based.
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