Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen has insisted that the NFL will soon return to seeing more action on the ground, despite it having been increasingly a league of wide receivers in recent years.

Allen said that he would urge all young running backs looking to make it in the game to stick with what they know rather than try to become wideouts as has been the case recently.

"We are sort of the Last of the Mohicans, because unfortunately the running game isn't emphasised like it's been in the past," Allen told NFL.com. "Players that wanted to be running backs are playing wide receiver.

"I still think, regardless of the trend, I think you can't win without an established running game. So all you running backs out there don't lose faith. The game will come back around and it will be a running game again, some time soon hopefully."

Allen made his debut in 1982 for the Los Angeles Raiders.