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The success of English clubs in Europe should encourage people to "stop knocking" the Premiership according to Sam Allardyce.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have all qualified for the Champions League semi-finals and Spurs have also impressed in the UEFA Cup.

The Bolton chief believes that the success of these clubs in European competitions underlines the Premiership's position as the best league in the world.

Big Sam insists the strength of the league goes under-appreciated in England and that it takes success at continental level to make people sit up and take notice.

"It's been a terrific week for English clubs," the Trotters boss said.

"We like to make a statement in the Premiership, and there would be no better statement than to get two English clubs in the final of the Champions League, and hopefully Tottenham in the final of the UEFA Cup. That would tell everybody the Premiership is the best because we all have a tendency in this country to knock what we've got. We don't appreciate what we have when it's under our noses, but everybody else outside of this country does. Finishing the season like that would tell everybody else to stop knocking (the league) and keep promoting it."