Allardyce emails England players to introduce himself

In an effort to introduce himself to his players, newly-appointed England manager Sam Allardyce has written to each of the 23 members of the national football squad, who recently suffered a humiliation in 2016 Euro Cup.

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton, one of the email recipients, asserted that contact from him was a big boost ahead of the start of their World Cup qualification campaign on September 4.

"He sent a brief email today to say hello and to introduce himself. I'm sure he's got a lot on, but that arrived this morning, which was fantastic," Burnley goalkeeper Heaton was quoted as saying by the British media on Tuesday.

Allardyce has taken over the reigns of the England team from previous incumbent Roy Hodgson who resigned after series of poor performances at the European Championships.

The former Sunderland manager will take on his first assignment as England manager in an away fixture against Slovakia for their opening World Cup qualifier on September 4.

Allardyce, who has made it clear that he regards strong team spirit and clear communication as key factors for a successful team will announce the squad for the Slovakia fixture at end of this month.

--IANS

gau/ajb/dg