Brooking is England supremo

The proposal to hire Brooking for what is probably the most important long-term job in domestic football came from the FA's new chief executive-Mark Palios. The FA believe Brooking can form an alliance with Eriksson that will have long-lasting benefits for the game. The pair are often seen chatting together before international matches.

Brooking's role will embrace all technical aspects of the game. He will have a far wider brief than Howard Wilkinson, who was the FA technical director for five years and had spells as Under-21 coach and first team caretaker manager.

Brooking's responsibilities will range from Eriksson and the elite national squads down through the leagues and county associations to the game's grass roots. During his four years as chairman of Sport England, he focused on football's problems at schoolboy level and made the disappearance of school playing fields an embarrassing issue for the government.

The fact that, after retiring as a professional with West Ham in 1984, he spent a further 10 years playing local football in Essex demonstrates his allegiance to the sport at all levels. He was, of course, one of the great players of his generation and has retained a rapport with players, fans and the movers and shakers within the Premiership. A mediafriendly figure, he has blue-chip status and a reputation for fair play and honesty - - he was never sent off in a 17-year playing career. It would make sense if he now had an input into the FA's planned disciplinary improvements.

Despite a gentlemanly demeanour, he is no soft touch and ruffled a few feathers during his time as chairman of Sport England.

As a player, he qualified for the full FA coaching badge and his two recent spells as caretaker manager of West Ham - one defeat in a total of 14 matches - revealed a good knowledge of tactics and a love of attacking football which he is bound to promote in the future.