Former Manchester United goalkeeper Tom Heaton joins England squad in preparation for Euro 2024 as a coach

England manager Gareth Southgate is looking to add experience to his coaching ranks - to do this, he has brought former Three Lions and Manchester United goalkeeper Tom Heaton on board to join his backroom staff ahead of Euro 2024.

This will be Heaton’s first official coaching role, though he has acted as a mentor to younger ‘keepers in the twilight of his playing career. He won three caps for England as an active player, all of which came between the years of 2016 and 2017.

Heaton is perhaps best known for his time with Burnley, for whom he made 188 league appearances - he also played for clubs such as Cardiff City, Bristol City and Aston Villa. While he spent a number of years with the Red Devils, he never made a senior league appearance for them.

Following the decision, Heaton posted a message on his official X (formerly Twitter) page, which reads: “Incredibly honoured to be asked by Gareth to join the squad.

“To get the call to go to a major tournament, to help in anyway I can and pass on my experience is a proud moment. We have a great squad, I’m excited and can't wait to join the group.”

Meanwhile, on the decision to add Heaton to his coaching team, Southgate said: “Experience tells us that a tournament can put a lot of demand on our goalkeeping group.

“Tom will play an invaluable role on the training pitch supporting Jordan, Aaron and Dean. Off the field, as someone we all know well, he will add to the positive environment we are always looking to create.”

England’s first game in Euro 2024 will take place on Sunday, June 16, where they will take on Serbia - following this, the Three Lions will square off against Denmark on June 20 and Slovenia on June 25.