Everton defender Phil Jagielka sees Roy Hodgson as the ideal England coach.

Jagielka can't speak highly enough about Hodgson, who ­appears to be a steadying hand at the helm after succeeding ­Fabio Capello last May.

The 30-year-old Jagielka, who has won 16 caps, said: "If you look beyond his CV in football, he is genuinely a nice guy and you can have a conversation with him for hours and hours.

"He is a likeable person and it works brilliantly. We spend a lot of time away together and the atmosphere he has created has made it so much easier to go away on international duty.

"He has a laugh and a joke when he wants to, and then he reins it in when he wants to let us know that he is not happy.

"But, as a person, he fits the bill perfectly. His CV speaks for itself and, added to that, he is a good communicator who doesn't shirk away from anything and gives his views.

"For both players and fans alike, that's exactly what you want to see - you want him to be as honest as he possibly can."