Glenn Hoddle insists he would not take the England Under-21s job unless the Football Association allows the country's best young players to compete at major international tournaments.
After watching his team exit the European Championship in Israel without winning a single point, England coach Stuart Pearce bemoaned the fact the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones and Jack Rodwell were not available because they were involved in the senior team's friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.
Rodwell, who started just six Barclays Premier League games for Manchester City last season, was drafted in to the senior squad following an injury to Tom Cleverley.
But he did not feature against Ireland and Wembley and played just seven minutes as a substitute against Brazil in the Maracana. Hoddle thinks the likes of Rodwell would have benefited more had they gone to Israel.
"Getting to the final (of the U21 Euros), that experience would out weigh anything like a 10-minute substitution at senior level," said Hoddle, who managed England between 1996 and 1999.
"Norway had four players join them from the senior squad. That's what we have got to do. If we had got to the final it would have given us a lift and if we have our strongest team there I think we've got a real chance.
"If the players who are (regularly) playing senior internationals then of course they aren't going to go, but there are a lot of players who should have gone and the FA really have to look at themselves and change the rules. They have to be much stronger when it comes to the tournament time."
Hoddle also thinks Roy Hodgson should be much more involved in the Under-21 set-up.
The former Tottenham midfielder added: "The senior coach needs to be in and around the camp at Under-21 tournaments, not picking the team, but taking a few sessions like you would do at your club with the reserve side, you observe them in training and you learn about people's character on and off the pitch.
"The players' motivation levels would go up too because they would be closer to the full team, and that's what this is all about."
Source: PA
