LONDON. — Sam Allardyce left his job as England manager yesterday. The 61-year-old has paid the ultimate price after he was secretly filmed telling undercover reporters how to bend FA transfer rules to try and land a lucrative £400 000 deal in the Far East. Gareth Southgate has been put in temporary charge of England’s next four matches, starting with the home match against Malta on October 8.

An FA statement read: “The FA can confirm that Sam Allardyce has left his position as England manager. “Allardyce’s conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgment and has apologised.

“However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

“This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA’s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times.

“Gareth Southgate will take charge of the men’s senior team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain whilst The FA begins its search for the new England manager.

“The FA wishes Sam well in the future.’ Sam Allardyce has left his job as England manager after he was caught in a Daily Telegraph sting offering advice on how to get around Football Association transfer rules Allardyce also released a statement. He said: “Further to recent events, The FA and I have mutually agreed to part company.

“It was a great honour for me to be appointed back in July and I am deeply disappointed at this outcome. “This afternoon, I met with Greg Clarke and Martin Glenn and offered a sincere and whole-hearted apology for my actions.

“Although it was made clear during the recorded conversations that any proposed arrangements would need The FA’s full approval, I recognise I made some comments which have caused embarrassment.

“As part of today’s meeting, I was asked to clarify what I said and the context in which the conversations took place. I have co-operated fully in this regard.

“I also regret my comments with regard to other individuals.” Following the revelations in the sting by The Daily Telegraph, Allardyce departs just 67 days after he was appointed Three Lions boss. The decision followed showdown talks between the two parties at Wembley yesterday afternoon.

Allardyce left his home in Bolton shortly before 7am on Tuesday morning for talks with FA bosses. Chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn met with the former Sunderland boss and emphasised they were extremely disturbed by the allegations held against him.

Allardyce defended himself by saying that during the sting he said everything needed to be run past The FA, though that wasn’t enough to save him. FA board members Dan Ashworth and David Gill were also consulted over the decision to dispense with Allardyce’s services, but it was Clarke’s voice which carried the most weight.

Allardyce landed a contract worth £3 million-a-year plus bonuses in July, but was filmed cashing in on his role with reporters posing as Far East businessmen. In discussions over a potential deal, Allardyce offered to fly to China and Singapore to “talk football”. He also mocked predecessor Roy Hodgson’s speech, criticised former England No 2 Gary Neville and indiscreetly gave his views on why the team froze against Iceland on the way to their embarrassing Euro 2016 exit.

The meeting with the reporters, who claimed to be businessmen looking to cash in on the success of the Premier League, was filmed by the Daily Telegraph and took place before Allardyce had even taken charge of his first game — the dramatic 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Slovakia. — MailOnline.

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