FA want Black Cats to pay for Wilkinson

The Football Association confirmed they will seek compensation from Sunderland for technical director Howard Wilkinson as they revealed that they could look abroad for his successor.

FA chief executive Adam Crozier is likely to look for a six-figure sum from Sunderland chairman Bob Murray as Wilkinson had almost two years to run on his contract at Soho Square.

“Bob Murray rung me on Tuesday morning and asked for permission to speak to Howard. I said ’fine’ as I don’t think it’s right to stand in people’s way,” revealed Crozier.

“Howard and Bob came back to me last night and said they wanted to go ahead. We had an initial chat about compensation, just to make sure we were all aware of where we stood.

“Bob and I will sit down after these two England games and sort it out.”

Crozier, in Slovakia ahead of England’s opening Euro 2004 qualifier, will involve Sven-Goran Eriksson in the hunt for Wilkinson’s replacement following his surprise departure to become manager of Sunderland.

Indeed, there is a chance he could be joined by another overseas appointment as the FA scour Europe for the right candidate.

Crozier revealed: “We always said that we’d go for the best person for the job when we were appointing the England coach and I think you’d have to say the same on this one as well.

“It’s more important to get the right person.”

High-profile English figures such as former Blackburn boss Roy Hodgson, who is manager of the United Arab Emirates, and Peter Taylor, the former under-21 coach who worked with Eriksson at senior level, will be in the frame.

However, there are also strong internal candidates, such as Les Reed, the director of technical development, who will now run the department on a caretaker basis along with technical co-ordinator Robin Russell.

Crozier made it clear that the role is a specialist position, requiring someone who is prepared to give up directly coaching a team.

Indeed, it was after five years away from day-to-day management, apart from two brief stints as caretaker England coach and a spell as under-21 boss, that Wilkinson felt the urge to return to a club.

Crozier admitted he did not exactly plead with the former Leeds boss to stay, but insisted that this did not provide proof of often-denied claims of a power battle within Soho Square.

“I didn’t try very hard to keep Howard but not in the sense that we didn’t want him to stay. It was very clear from what he was saying that he was desperate to coach a team,” explained Crozier.

“Once he started talking about how excited he was about the job, it was pretty plain it wasn’t going to be possible to keep him.

“I said I wanted him to stay, if that counts as persuading him, but his mind was set on it. I think we leave on very good terms as he’s done a terrific job for us.

“Sven was a bit surprised, like me.

“There are quite a few people we now want to talk to, including Sven, the people in the technical department, the Professional Footballers’ Association and the League Managers’ Association.”

Crozier paid tribute to Wilkinson for his achievements in five years at the FA, especially in setting up the academy system and getting plans for a new national football centre off the ground.

Wilkinson, 58, added: “I feel that I have benefited massively from my time as technical director at the FA.

“It was a great opportunity to take a step back from the narrow focus that club management can have and look at the new and modern developments that were occurring in the game.

“I am very grateful to Adam Crozier and the FA for understanding that the position at Sunderland is challenging and exciting at this stage in my career.”