Sam Allardyce has revealed an attempt to call up Steven N'Zonzi for England was blocked by FIFA after the Sevilla midfielder'ssingle appearance for France Under-21s in 2009 made him ineligible.
Allardyce signed N'Zonzi for Blackburn in 2009 and was intrigued by the prospect of calling the midfielder up, but insists there is no chance of him playing for England now.
We did have a call, and it would have been of interest for me,� Allardyce said. We did explore it, but it was impossible, and it's dead now.�
Sam Allardyce reveals failed attempt to call up Steven N'Zonzi for England https://t.co/9IJXhFepUd pic.twitter.com/b2U4S9X0VD
"Steven is very good, he never got the credit that he deserves because of his size.
"Being too big can be a hindrance to a footballer because [people] think their feet are not as clever and they're not as mobile or sharp."
Allardyce willannounce his first England squad on Sunday ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia and also revealed he is braced for a fraught relationshipwith Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, with the pair set to clash over call-ups of injured players.
England boss Sam Allardyce not afraid to fall out with Jose Mourinho over selections: https://t.co/H2okkrpLdW pic.twitter.com/oioO7i5Pp5
I will speak to José,� he said. We've got on well together, but when you're having a conversation with an international manager, we all know the difficulties of the past.
"So, I'm not saying we won't have a fall-out now and again because we're both passionate about what we do. There may be a time when it gets a bit sticky, when he doesn't agree with me or I don't agree with him. Hopefully that's miles away.�