FA boss Martin Glenn insists new England manager must want long-term stay

Glenn is heading up a three-man selection panel, alongside FA technical director Dan Ashworth and vice-chairman David Gill, which has already spoken to "a handful" of candidates including front-runner Sam Allardyce and Steve Bruce.

Allardyce emerged late on Wednesday as the man almost certain to succeed Roy Hodgson but Glenn was eager to ensure the decision is not just quick but correct.

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And that means the new man must be someone who is passionate about the role and willing to help build a strong identity throughout the FA's representative sides.

"Everyone we've spoke to about the job is massively enthusiastic about the prospects for England," Glenn told Sky Sports News.

"We're not after a short-term mercenary, someone just to do the job for a couple of years. I want someone to come in to the England role to really work with not just the senior team but to make sure all the great work with the under-16s, 17s, 18s - look at how well the U-19s are doing now - and to knit all that together.

"We want someone to do a great job for the England national team but as well make sure all the development teams are laddering up to something more effective."

Glenn will attend an FA board meeting on Thursday and although the issue will be a major talking point it may be too early for a final recommendation.

"It's only been three weeks since the hunt started," said Glenn.

"We're making good progress and we're clear about what we're looking for. We're pretty encouraged about what we've seen.

"It's the manager of the England national team, we've got to get that right and got to make sure we've covered all various alternatives as best we can.

"I can't be specific on timetable, we just want the right choice."

As well as interviewing candidates for the top job, Glenn has been canvassing opinion from the game at large about what the role requires and why it has confounded so many in the 50 years since England's solitary tournament success.

One message he has taken on board has come from former internationals, who have advised that mental toughness - particularly under media scrutiny - is essential.

"Speaking to ex-players that have performed well for England it's a pretty consistent theme, which is resilience under pressure," Glenn told BBC Sport's Dan Roan.

"Why is that? We need to understand it better. It's two things: it's confidence in there being a match plan and it's personal resilience especially now at a time of massive social media.

"The British press, like it or not, are probably the most intensely passionate about the game in the world and that has a spill-over effect.

"The consequence of which is people play not to make a mistake, as opposed to play to win."

The contention that the English media is more invested in footballing affairs than in other major European nations, or South America for that matter, is debatable but a better method of dealing with such pressures is a priority of the Glenn regime.

"The new manager's got to be someone who can inspire people to get the best out of themselves, build resilience and unashamedly adopt the kind of psychological techniques that other sports and other football teams have done," he added.

"To really inspire people that when they put their England jersey on they play as well for England as they do for their club."