He was unsure, however, whether English football was ready for him.For Swindon Town, it was like Cindy Crawford agreeing to dance with you. When he returned to English football in August 1991, Hoddle was ready with a new approach. Stretching exercises, a healthier diet and thoughtful tactical strategies combined to fuel Hoddle's imagination. At first Hoddle was amused; but during much time spent injured with knee and Achilles tendon problems, the idea began to appeal to him.Wenger was an inspiration: sophisticated and with intriguing ideas. When the 6ft-tall Hoddle arrived, he was already a lean 11st 6lbs, but Wen- ger urged him to lose more weight to gain speed.

A player of his skills could have hoped to win double that amount during his career. Hoddle returned to Monaco more convinced than ever of the crassness of the English game.But doing something about it only dawned on him when his coach at Monaco, the cerebral Arsene Wenger (now in charge of Arsenal), suggested that he too might make a good coach. But Hoddle was becoming disaffected with the increasingly prevalent long- ball game played in England and grew restless for a more stimulating experience. He got it in July '87 when he signed to Monaco, where he was an immediate success. The team won the French title; he became the country's player of the year.Bobby Robson, however, clearly felt Monaco was no preparation for an England match against the scuffling Republic of Ireland at the European Championships of 1988 Hoddle was left out of the team. England's ill- fated Championships campaign ended with defeats by Holland and the Soviet Union, Hoddle appearing in these last two games to make his final tally of caps 53. It may be that because Hoddle's control was so good - team-mates spoke of him being able to take a ball in his stride, no matter how badly delivered - that he did not see the need for it.The next season, 1986-87, Hoddle enjoyed one of his best periods for Tottenham as David Pleat's accommodating management used him to best effect.

He started all five games in the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico, for example, even if he never played in the attacking midfield position he wanted Robson had doubts, however. Hoddle could not, he felt, always see the need to make space for himself and give the passing player an angle to find him with the ball. "The only problem that I could see he had, was his own personality Glenn never realised how good he was .. He was a retiring type of person, rather shy. He was certainly not a flamboyant character, which would have been more fitting for him as a player. It is often down to the player himself about how many caps he wins. People say he should have got more, but they should also look at the character of the player as well as the ability."Hoddle fared better under the more lyrical Bobby Robson, who became manager of the England team in 1982.