Nigerian legend Jay-Jay Okocha is backing Sam Allardyce for success with England.

Allardyce signed Okocha on a free transfer in 2002 when Bolton manager and it proved to be one of his most successful moves in the transfer market with the playmaker bringing flair and excitement to the Reebok Stadium.

"Sam is a great manager because of his man-management skills. He knows how to get the best out of the players," the Nigerian told the Daily Mail.

"One of his strengths is his attention to detail, which is second to none. He lets you know what he wants and gives you lots of detail of who you're playing against.

"Sam was very good at making it enjoyable and if he could do that with lots of foreign players at Bolton, it will be a lot easier to do it with people of the same mentality.

"I have no doubt that the ambience in the dressing room will be fantastic and we shouldn't forget that he's well equipped with experience, so he will know how to handle issues.

"He's not shy at experimenting with things, but he's also good at knowing when to apply those things to get the best out of the team. He deserves to be England manager and I believe he will do a great job."