Roy Hodgson rejects claims of disharmony before Iceland nightmare

It was claimed senior players had queried the selection of Raheem Sterling for the last-16 clash in Nice, while the six changes ahead of the dour 0-0 draw with Slovakia were also apparently scorned.

''There was no indication that they weren't behind us, that they weren't behind the game plans and trying hard to execute," said a visibly tense Hodgson before a Football Association official stepped in to point out they had also been denied by England captain Wayne Rooney.

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The claims first surfaced on Sky Sports, who said they had heard from sources inside the England camp.

Hodgson was slammed by the British press following the defeat, which saw England throw away an early lead and slump to arguably their lowest point since the 1950 World Cup defeat to a part-time United States side.

The 68-year-old resigned at his post-match press conference, leading him to ponder aloud why he had to square up to the media again on Tuesday afternoon.

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''I don't really know what I'm doing here but I was told it's important for me to appear as everyone is still smarting,'' said Hodgson, who apologised to England supporters for the result.

''My emotions are obvious. I was really disappointed and I didn't see the defeat coming.

But he predicted that England's players would bounce back and show they could perform at an international tournament.

''I'm sure that these players will get better and better. One day I think we will do well and hopefully that can happen in 2018 (at the next World Cup).''

Hodgson was accompanied by Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn who said a review would now be conducted into why England were so ''brittle'' at tournaments.

''When it comes to the business end of the tournament we've come up short for many years," he said. "We're not denying that our perennial problem is that England seem brittle at the business end of the season.''

Glenn said he would join FA's technical director Dan Ashworth and David Gill, FA vice-chairman, in a search to find a new manager. He said they were looking for ''the best person for the job,'' and did not rule out appointing a foreign manager.

''We are looking for the best person, not necessarily the best Englishman,'' he said.