Euro 2016

Sam Allardyce: 'England players must learn lessons from Euro 2016'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 23 July 2016

Sam Allardyce claims that England's "very bitter experience" at this summer's European Championship finals could help to motivate his players in the long term.

England manager Sam Allardyce has told his players to use their disappointing Euro 2016 exit as inspiration heading into the next qualifying campaign.

The 61-year-old takes over a Three Lions side still coming to terms with a shock 2-1 defeat to Iceland in the first knockout stage of the Euros last month.

Having won just one of their four fixtures in France, Allardyce believes that his biggest task as new boss of the national side is to motivate his players ahead of the opening World Cup 2018 qualifier against Slovakia in September.

"I think first and foremost it's about regaining, perhaps, a bit of confidence they have lost after the Euros," he told the FA's official website. "Let's get started from day one. Let's put that to bed, let's start delivering, gain from the experience that you gained at the Euros.

"It's a very bitter experience as we all know but that inner drive - players should keep, they should hold it and use it as a positive, say 'we don't want to experience that again'.

"We going to get into the qualifiers, try to qualify for the World Cup and when we go next time we're better prepared, I think mentally, to succeed."

Allardyce, overlooked for the job a decade ago when given to Steve McClaren, will take charge of England for the first time in a friendly at Wembley on September 1.