Baggies coach is backing Cup bid
Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo has backed England's 2018 World Cup bid - and offered a glowing endorsement of Milton Keynes as a possible venue.
The Baggies head coach believes his former stamping ground of Stadium MK deserves his place among the stadia being included in England bid.
MK Dons, where Di Matteo spent a year as manager before moving to The Hawthorns, won a place among the 2018 team's chosen venues ahead of several more established clubs including Leicester and Derby.
"It's a fast-growing city and very much the location was probably vital to winning the bid as a host city for Milton Keynes," said Di Matteo. "It's a beautiful new stadium, which they will have to increase in size, but the second tier is already built so there is not too much work to be done there.
"The location is fantastic.
"You're in a nice place there to go anywhere. You're close to almost anything.
"There is no reason why they shouldn't have got it."
Di Matteo was part of the Italy team that played in Euro 96, the last major tournament to be staged in England.
And the Baggies boss believes England would be the perfect hosts for the World Cup in nine years' time.
"I hope England get the nod," said Di Matteo. "England is a wonderful football country. "We had the European Championships in 1996 but it's time they got another big competition.
"Most infrastructure is in place. If you look at the football stadiums in England they are all geared for football."