Sam Allardyce will bring a strong mindset to the England camp as national manager.

That’s the view of his former Huddersfield Town teammate Dale Tempest, who is now public relations director of Football League sponsors Skybet.

“I’m delighted Sam is being given the opportunity to take on England and I have to say it’s a well-deserved appointment,” said Tempest, who played alongside Allardyce at Leeds Road in the 1984/85 season.

“Despite the perception created by sections of the media, Sam has always been progressive and forward thinking – and he just wants to win football matches.

“Roy Hodgson won 10 out of 10 qualifiers, so qualifying for the World Cup isn’t even an issue – that has to happen and it has to be achieved well.

“But it’s that tournament mentality – where we have lacked discipline and strong minds in the past, most recently at Euro 2016 – that needs to be brought in to ensure success in a six-week tournament.

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“I have no doubt Sam will bring that to the England camp.”

So what type of player and character was Allardyce?

“When I was with Town I went on loan to Gillingham and was in the same team as Tony Cascarino,” answered Tempest.

“Tony went on to have a fantastic career at top level, including a lot of internationals, but he used to say the one player in the whole of English football who frightened him was big Sam Allardyce.

“Sam has an intensity even now, and when he used to pull on a shirt – whether it be the blue and white stripes of the Terriers or anyone else he played for – you knew that winning was everything to him.

“He might have taken a few short cuts – most people in the game would call it professionalism, but some observers would think it was cheating – but it all made him a tough opponent.

“I’m talking about blocking players off and all that sort of stuff, but it’s only what all the best teams do.

“Even the great Manchester United side which Sir Alex Ferguson brought through not only played superb football, but they were masters of the dark arts of football as well.

“That’s what Sam was like, he knew how to gain an advantage, whether it be with the officials or the opposition, and he would get you on the winning side when you weren’t playing that well. He was the sort of guy you wanted in your team.”