Leicester star Andy Goode insists Martin Johnson will be a hit with England if he is appointed as the new national team manager.

The Tigers fly-half played with England's World Cup-winning captain for six years at Welford Road and is adamant Johnson can translate his unparalleled success in a red rose shirt as a player into coaching, with the Rugby Football Union set to announce a new appointment within the next week, widely expected to be Johnson.

But Goode warned the RFU it will either be Johnson's way or the highway in the build-up to England's summer tests against New Zealand should he be the man they appoint.

He said: "For England he is the guy that we need to pin our hat on to make sure he leads the squad, and leads the set-up.

"He needs to be given free rein to do what he wants in terms of coaches, in terms of how the team plays and who plays in the team.

"I think at the moment there is a big grey area about how the RFU is run, for example who picks the side, what is the role of Rob Andrew?

"You look at coaches like Sir Clive Woodward and Jake White - they demanded 'back me or you sack me' and they won the World Cup.

"If Jonno is going to be involved he'll do it his way and that's the only way he'll do it - if that happens it would be a great thing for English rugby.

"The best thing about Jonno is that what he sees in English rugby at the moment hurts him because of the way he was as a player, captain and leader over countless years.

"He's got all the attributes of a good manager or coach and although he hasn't coached before his knowledge of the game and his rugby brain is far and away the best I have known."

Johnson is the only player to have ever captained the British and Irish Lions on two tours and led Leicester to back-to-back Heineken Cups and four Zurich Premiership titles.

And Goode, who won nine England caps, was quick to testify to his leadership abilities, adding: "As a guy he has the utmost respect of every player who plays the game.

"He has an aura about him. He was at the forefront of a successful England and Leicester side for many years, you knew if you stood next to him you stood tall.

"He led from the front as a player and as a captain; he was always first into the battle, the first to accept any sort of challenge.

"We want to keep winners in the game and Jonno is definitely a winner."

But Goode's thoughts are now turning to Saturday and the EDF Energy Cup final against the Ospreys who are still smarting from their Heineken Cup exit to Saracens last Sunday.

The 28-year-old stole the show against England youngster Danny Cipriani in the 34-24 semi-final defeat of Wasps and insists the Twickenham final is another chance for him to stake his claim for a place in the England set-up.

He added: "I have future international ambitions because any professional rugby player wants to represent his country.

"Danny Cipriani has done extremely well during the Six Nations and Jonny Wilkinson is there so we have strength in depth in the position.

"I don't worry about it too much, as a player you want the squads to be picked on merit and if I can continue playing well for Leicester hopefully I'll get the opportunity.

"It is a major priority for us, it was the first trophy we won last year and it was a target to defend it.

"As a club we want to do better than we did last year and it is important to build on success by winning a trophy this season."

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