ALAN SHEARER has highlighted the importance of experience as the Football Association starts the search for England's next manager.

Roy Hodgson stepped down after their elimination from Euro 2016 following the 2-1 defeat to Iceland in Nice.

Former England striker Shearer told BBC1: "I went to see the FA four or five years ago and I said, 'I want it, I'll have that job'.

READ MORE: Harry Redknapp says FA can't be trusted to pick Roy Hodgson's successor following England's Euro 2016 defeat

"They looked at me and said, 'No, it's a lack of experience'. And I said, 'You've hired experienced guys, you've paid them an absolute fortune, I could not have done any worse than those guys'.

"I'd definitely speak to them, absolutely. I would offer my experience and tournament experience.

"Even if Gareth Southgate got it, for him to take players in with experience who've been there and done it then that has to be of benefit also."

On England's performance on Monday night, the former Newcastle boss added: "That was the worst performance I've ever seen from an England team. Ever.

"We were out-fought, out-thought, out-battled and totally hopeless for 90 minutes. I said after the three group games that England weren't good enough - I didn't see enough.

"It looked to me like Roy was making it up as he was going along. It was tactically inept.

"How can he pick Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere? We had players in the squad who didn't deserve to be there. Manchester City's winger Raheem Sterling hasn't performed. We can go on and on. Then there was Tottenham striker Harry Kane on corners - the list is endless.

READ MORE: Not so nice in Nice as England crash out to Iceland

"Our players caved tonight. We've all played under pressure, they caved and the manager caved. He gave Manchester United teenage striker Marcus Rashford four minutes and he still did more than anyone else.

"We are blinded by the Premier League, we think it's the best in the world for talent, it's not. We are totally reliant for foreign players and managers for excitement. We are not as good as we think we are."

Fellow former England internationals Ian Wright, Lee Dixon and Peter Crouch believe Hodgson's decision to resign as manager was the right one.

Dixon told ITV: "He's done the right thing. From his point of view, but also the team's point of view. He couldn't have taken the team any further.

"He's a lovely guy, honourable. (But) from a coaching point of view, there were glaring errors there from the set-pieces, etc, which weren't taken care of.

"It was just abject. There was no organisation, there was no speed, the organisation of letting a goal in from a throw-in: there was little attention to detail."

Wright added: "It was an abject performance from the boys, but the preparation in what Iceland do was pretty obvious. We were found wanting in that respect.

"(Hodgson) said 'They've been fantastic', which is a nice thing to say, but they've not been fantastic."

Crouch said: "Hopefully people will start talking about him (Hodgson) leaving rather than the performance, and I think that's why he came in and did it so early.

"I don't think there's a fundamental fault (with English players), I think it boils down to pressure."

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle said: "I'm not surprised. He did it with dignity. It's the right timing, with his contract coming to an end, and the way we played in this game.

"It was very lacklustre, there was no movement, not enough options on the ball. Iceland deserved their win."

Another former Three Lions boss, Steve McClaren, told Sky Sports News: "They've not been good enough tonight, not at all. The repercussions of this are going to be absolutely enormous."

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher added: "It was a shambolic performance, especially second half. Obviously it didn't go right for us in the first half - that's where the mistakes were for the two goals.

"But for the group of players to not have any sort of clue what to do on the pitch in that situation, to completely panic, we didn't have too many chances, people were doing stupid things with the ball...I don't think I can remember a game as bad as that."

Former England winger Chris Waddle told BBC Radio Five Live: "We haven't got leaders. They're all pampered, they're all just headphones, they don't communicate, on the pitch or off the pitch, you can't get anything out of them. That's why we're no good."

READ MORE: Harry Redknapp says FA can't be trusted to pick Roy Hodgson's successor following England's Euro 2016 defeat

On Hodgson's successor, ex-England striker Alan Smith told Sky Sports News: "I don't think there's an obvious candidate and that's a problem for the FA as I don't think they want to go down the road of a foreign manager again and I don't want them to.

"I think there are only three or four English managers in the Premier League with Sean Dyche coming up to join the other three so it's a big problem for the FA."