Lee Mears has urged the RFU to ensure that Stuart Lancaster's replacement is an Englishman.

Lancaster, who took charge of England on a permanent basis in April 2012, stepped down from the position earlier today following the team's early exit from the recent Rugby World Cup.

A number of coaches from the Southern Hemisphere have already been linked with the vacancy, but former England and Bath hooker Mears has insisted that the job should be given to somebody that was born on English shores.

"I'm a proud, patriotic Englishman. We're the richest nation with the biggest playing base and one of the top leagues in the world yet we are looking around at a Southern Hemisphere coach," he told BBC Sport.

"I would much rather have an Englishman. That's where our identity comes from. That's what everyone got behind with Stuart. He made everyone go back to being proud to be English."

Eddie Jones, Conor O'Shea, Jim Mallinder and Michael Cheika are among the early favourites to fill the void that has been left by Lancaster.