McClaren was my first choice

“From the outside it is an easy chip to have at us but those people were very helpful to me.

“It always looks complicated from the outside, but really it is less complicated and convoluted from the inside. People are able to be appointed in discreet ways but we accept, as the FA, it is difficult for people to keep secrets.”

Barwick revealed besides receiving advice from figures within the FA – Trevor Brooking, as director of football development, played a significant part - he also sought the opinion of Arsene Wenger. “I went to see Arsene Wenger, a very courteous man, and he said he wanted to stay in club football,” said Barwick.