Football stunned by Capello exit

SHOCK ... Michael Owen

ENGLAND striker MICHAEL OWEN had no regrets about Capello's departure, saying: "It never felt right knowing the manager was heading off after the Euros regardless.

"Surely we will stick to an Englishman as our next manager. That should run from players to tea lady."

Match of the Day's GARY LINEKER backed Redknapp to manage both England and Spurs in the short term. He tweeted: "New man should be English. HR the man if he wants it. He can do both jobs til May."

ROY KEANE said: "Capello is a strong character and thought his authority was questioned with JT losing the captaincy. You've got to admire him. He stuck to his guns."

JOEY BARTON told his Twitter followers: "No captain, no manager. 4 months from a major championship... this debacle claims yet another victim. Madness."

NEIL WARNOCK said: "I'm delighted as an Englishman. I can look forward to Euro 2012 now, whereas I was dreading it before."

GARETH SOUTHGATE, the FA's head of elite development, said: "If someone has offered his resignation and it was accepted then obviously there has been a breakdown."

And ALAN SHEARER admitted: "I'm shocked. We had a manager who was taking a team into the European Championship with a decent chance of being successful."

Arsenal midfielder JACK WILSHERE tweeted: "Shocked about news on Fabio Capello... gutted to be honest, gave me my 1st cap and believed in me! Thank you Mr Capello!"

Former England defender MARTIN KEOWN said: "It is an incredible day for the Redknapp family. This morning he could have gone to prison and now he could go to heaven."

Sunderland boss MARTIN O'NEILL said: "Harry is the favourite. It has been crying out for an English manager. He got Spurs to the Champions League, he deserves it."