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Phil Brown says Sam Allardyce 'put England debacle to bed' before quitting

Phil brown was Sam Allardyce's assistant at Bolton for six years
Image: Phil Brown was Sam Allardyce's assistant at Bolton for six years

Sam Allardyce has timed his retirement perfectly after putting the "England debacle" to bed at Crystal Palace, according to his long-time assistant.

Phil Brown began his coaching career under Allardyce at Blackpool and spent six years working alongside his mentor at Bolton, where the pair secured promotion and stabilised the club in the Premier League.

Allardyce was never relegated with Wanderers and went on to save Blackburn and Sunderland from the drop before his dream job with England ended after just one game in the wake of a newspaper sting.

The 62-year-old bounced back to rescue Palace with the help of wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, only to stun football by quitting on Tuesday.

And Brown, now managing Southend, told Sky Sports News HQ: "I think the timing's right for him, and the decision is right.

"He had to put to bed all the speculation about the England debacle which I think he firmly did at Palace.

Sam Allardyce looks on during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifyer between Slovakia and England
Image: Allardyce's dream job with England lasted just one game

"Unfortunately, he was known throughout the footballing world as a survival manager, and I thought that was a bit harsh. I thought he was a lot more than that.

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"But he got tagged with that, and consequently the final challenge was to survive with Crystal Palace. He's done that again, so the timing's perfect for him.

"He's put to bed England and he's gone out on a high. Palace fans will hold him in high regard, the same as Sunderland fans, Bolton fans and Blackburn fans."

And Brown took issue with the 'long-ball' tag that has stuck to Allardyce throughout his career, saying: "Sam would at the drop of a hat change his system if he thought he was going to win a game of football.

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Some memorable quotes and reactions from Sam Allardyce - one of the most familiar figures in English football over the last 15 years

"He'd like to be remembered for the Youri Djorkaeffs, Jay-Jay Okochas, Ivan Campos, Fernando Hierros and Gary Speeds he brought to Bolton, not for this long-ball nonsense."

Brown said he would "never write off" the possibility "the big man" might return to football in future but added Allardyce had already delayed his retirement seven years longer than he once planned.

"I think [Allardyce and his wife] had a plan when he first came into football as a manager that it was such a time-consuming job - it takes over everything and that includes family life - he was going to retire at 55.

"Football's won that battle - he's now 62 so they've had seven extra years out of him, but now he wants to enjoy his family life."

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