Gareth Southgate Talks Sam Allardyce, Wayne Rooney, More in 1st England Presser

Interim England manager Gareth Southgate revealed he has been in contact with predecessor Sam Allardyce following his dismissal, and hailed Wayne Rooney’s leadership skills after deciding to keep him on as Three Lions captain. 

The under-21s manager delivered his first press conference as temporary boss of the senior side on Monday and was quizzed on whether he’d spoken to Allardyce, who was caught in a newspaper sting and parted ways with England after just 67 days. Sky Sports News HQ shared his response:

WATCH: Southgate responds to whether he has spoken to Sam Allardyce since his departure: https://t.co/wpHDL5p7fE https://t.co/BC4AfvqEd9

— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) October 3, 2016

Per Matt Hughes of the Times, the 46-year-old, when asked about the nature of football following a week of revelations—of which Allardyce was just the first—said:

Wise words from Gareth Southgate: “I’m involved in a sport I love, but an industry I don’t like.”

— Matt Hughes (@MattHughesTimes) October 3, 2016

Southgate was also drawn on Rooney:

WATCH: Gareth Southgate says he never had any doubt about keeping @WayneRooney as captain. https://t.co/wpHDL5p7fE https://t.co/rOm49ZA6f0

— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) October 3, 2016

Per the Mirror’s Hamish Mackay, he added on Rooney: “He was an incredible emergence on the scene. Without being disrespectful, the character I saw in front of me last week is completely different. There was a stark contrast. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the discussion we had.”

Mackay reported the former England star also spoke of his appointment to the role of manager, and believes he was the best candidate to step in after Allardyce was filmed …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com