Jermain Defoe backs Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce to become England manager

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe has given his backing for manager Sam Allardyce to become the next England boss.

The Football Association is looking for a new coach after Roy Hodgson announced his resignation less than one hour after the Three Lions' Euro 2016 exit.

The team were roundly criticised for their performance in a 2-1 defeat to Iceland in the last-16 stage of the tournament in Nice on Monday night.

Gareth Southgate, Glenn Hoddle, Eddie Howe and Gary Neville have been named by bookmakers as potential candidates to replace Hodgson, while Defoe has thrown Allardyce's name into the mix.

"He should be [among the contenders]," Defoe told BBC Sport. "Sam has always said to us, 'You know what? I don't care how we play, as long as we win, that's the most important thing'. Sometimes you can't make it pretty and play good football - football is about results. It doesn't matter how you play.

"On a Thursday, we do the team selection and he tells us, 'This is what I want and this is how we're going to win on Saturday,' and it is always different depending on the opposition.

"He could transfer that to the international stage. If you look at the young players we have and the legs and the energy they have, 100% he could do it."

Allardyce took charge of Sunderland in October last year, managing to steer them away from the relegation zone in the Premier League.