With the focus in the aftermath of the world cup win on the sport, and amidst suggestions, however far-fetched, that he might link up with Sven-Goran Eriksson, Alan says:
"I just admire what Clive Woodward has done; he has taken the game on to a professional level that all football clubs need to look at.
"I think it is the way forward; he certainly works with sports science very closely which I think is important and the plan he has had to win the world cup has come to fruition.
"If you look at the English football campaign you would have to say you can draw something from that.
"Managing players in any sport - managing people in any business - is the same, it is to get the best out of them and you have to draw on all the experts that are around you to do that and it includes now sports science, psychology, whatever.
"We have got some good people here and I am going to add to them to make sure that we have got the best professional staff looking after our players."