‘Roy Hodgson must stay as England manager until World Cup 2018’, insists

FA chairman Greg Dyke and chief executive Martin Glenn have suggested they will want to keep him in position if England show signs of progress at the European Championship in France.

Wales manager Chris Coleman’s disappointment at being drawn with England immediately gave way to defiance as he talked up the Real Madrid superstars’ ability to slay Roy Hodgson’s side.

England kick off their campaign in Marseille on Saturday June 11 against Russian Federation, a night-time match that may cause security concerns given memories of crowd trouble there in the 1998 World Cup.

“But if we can get off to a start with a win against Sweden we’d be in a great position to qualify and that will be the main focus when it comes around”. I’d like to think we have all set a standard of turning up whenever we can and that has been the catalyst for the team spirit.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we nicked a draw against one of those and if we were also to beat Ukraine, then it should be enough to get us through to the last 16”.

“Ideally, if we’re successful, yes (we’d like him to stay until the 2018 World Cup)”.

The 68-year-old has yet to have an in-depth discussion about his future, but has made it clear that he is determined to remain in coaching.

“It’s a tough draw for us – it couldn’t get any tougher”.

As Michał Owczarek reports, the group is far from an easy challenge for Poland, a team that could hardly be called a Euro regular.

The Republic will hope that all of the teams take points off each other in Group E.

“As for the group, it is a good draw and we are able to get through it. It is an even and competitive group”. It’s good for the Irish fans but hard for us. “They have a young team and a lot of top players in their ranks”.

All the focus may be on Wales being drawn in the same group as England, but the opportunity to get one over on Russian Federation will also inspire Coleman to seek revenge for the controversial and agonising Euro 2004 play-off defeat.

“I think we share a love, of course, and an appreciation of Fulham Football Club which was good to both of us in Chris as a player and manager and me as a manager”.

Albania and Switzerland will be joining the French and Romania in Group A – one of six with four teams apiece.

Northern Ireland face the Poles in their Group C opener in Nice on 12 June with the contest against Ukraine following in Lyon four days later, before the match against world champions Germany in Paris on 21 June.