New England manager Sam Allardyce has made first contact with the players that flopped at Euro 2016.
Allardyce started work as Roy Hodgson's successor last week and, after settling into his new office at St George's Park, sent a message to each of the 23 players involved in France.
The 61-year-old's first game in charge of the national side is the World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on September 4, preceded by a week long get together, and he will not be naming his first squad until the end of August.
He nevertheless decided to open communications with those who were on duty in the summer, though no indication was given about any individual's place in Allardyce's thinking.
Those on the standby list and others, who may come into the reckoning under the new regime, were not included.
Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who was Hodgson's third-choice keeper at the tournament, was among those to be contacted.
He faces competition from a fit-again Jack Butland to stay in the England set-up, but was pleased to hear from former Sunderland boss Allardyce.
"I just had a brief email to say hello and introduce himself," said Heaton, who made his England debut from the bench in May's friendly win over Australia.
"I'm sure he's got an awful lot on but that arrived on Tuesday, which was fantastic. It was just a general email.
"There's nothing really that you do about it (replying). My focus is just on getting myself right and seeing where it takes me.
"Having had a taste of it I certainly want more. I have a hunger to step on, get more caps, keep involved. I'll be putting the work in to do that.
"With a new manager coming in you never know what his thoughts are but all I can really do is get my performance right and see where it takes me."
Source: PA
