The England manager's job has become a poisoned chalice rather than the holy grail of football.

That's the view of former Saints boss Lawrie McMenemy who was stunned and saddened when Kevin Keegan dramatically quit after the 1-0 defeat by Germany at Wembley.

It was McMenemy who brought Keegan to The Dell and the pair are still firm friends. In fact he was sitting with the manager's wife Jean and her mother when the sensational news filtered through.

Keegan insisted he was not bowing to a media witch-hunt and claimed he had made up his mind before the game that he would go if England lost.

But McMenemy knows the pressures of international management all too well from his his time as England assistant manager and boss of Northern Ireland.

And he believes that the former Saints striker may have felt compelled to quit by the touchline reaction and the knowledge that the tabloid knives would be out for him.

McMenemy said:"I spoke to Kevin on Saturday morning and he was upbeat about the spirit and never gave any impression he would go if they lost.

"I was with his wife when the news broke and there was no inkling of it at all. I could not believe it.

"In fact a tabloid journalist came up to me after the final whistle and asked if I thought Kevin would quit now. I laughed at the idea and told him not to be ridiculous.

"An hour later that same reporter sought me out and said he thought Kevin had been very selfish! I asked if that was because Kevin had quit in time for the Sunday papers to get it rather than on the Monday and he admitted that was true!

"That sums it up! I have managed at every level from the old Division 4 right up to international and the interest increases at every stage. At this level there is massive interest and pressure and you are never going to keep everyone happy."