Hoddle Calls For Sweeping Changes After England Under-21 Catastrophe

Glenn Hoddle has revealed he would only be interested in taking the England Under-21 job on the condition that the Football Association make fundamental changes in the way the way the country's best young talents are used on the international stage.

The Under-21 side came under severe criticism after their dismal performance in the European Championships in Israel, where they lost all three of their games and failed to score a single goal from open play.

While the likes of Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Jack Rodwell would have been eligible for the tournament, they were selected for the senior team for the friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil, a scenario that must change if Hoddle is to take up the job.

""It wouldn't interest me unless they changed the rules," Hoddle told TalkSPORT.

"Why would anyone be interested when you are taking your weapon away, when your better players aren't going to be there with you?

"I feel sorry for Stuart Pearce. Whoever takes the job, or continues to do the job, why would they take it if you are not going to get your best players?

"It is like a boxer going into the ring with one arm tied behind his back."

The failings in the current England Under-21 set up were brutally exposed by Italy, Norway and Israel, and a glance at the other nations shows the vast difference in experience that may have been a defining factor in their failure.

Liverpool's Jordan Henderson has been capped at full international on five occasions since 2010, while Steven Caulker, Jack Butland and Wilfried Zaha have all made a solitary appearance for the Three Lions.

At the other end of the scale, Holland's Kevin Strootman has made 18 appearances for the senior side, while Russia's Alan Dzagoev joined up with the U21 ranks after missing their group opener due to his appearance for the senior side in a World Cup qualifier.

Hoddle believes England must address this gap if they wish to see their fortunes improve.

"Getting to the final (of the Under-21 tournament), that experience would outweigh anything like a 10 minute substitution at senior level," the former England manager added.

"Norway had four players join them from the senior squad. That's what we have got to do. If we had got to the final it would have given us a lift and if we have our strongest team there I think we've got a real chance.

"If the players are (regularly) playing senior internationals then of course they aren't going to go, but there are a lot of players who should have gone and the FA really have to look sty themselves and change the rules."