The football agent at the centre of The Telegraph's media sting has claimed that the Football Association's decision to sack Sam Allardyce was an overreaction.

Scott McGarvey included Allardyce in a meeting with undercover journalists posing as representatives of a Far East firm looking to get involved in English football.

McGarvey - a former Manchester United forward - has claimed that he was unaware that the fabricated Meiren Sports Group were newspaper reporters.

During the meeting, Allardyce was secretly filmed appearing to discuss how to get around the FA's ban on third-party ownership of players, and was subsequently forced out of the England job.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, McGarvey said: "I'm devastated for him. I can't think of anything worse that could have happened to my life.

"He's got to feel I'm responsible because I'm the one who's brought him to the meeting but he's only come for me. He's never once spoken about money.

"He's never once said anything about money. It was only, 'Are you OK, lad? I'll help you'. Do I think he holds me responsible? I think he's known me for a long, long time. He knows that I'd never do that to him or to anybody in football."

Allardyce spent just 67 days in charge of the national team.