Kevin Keegan welcomed Teddy Sheringham back into the England fold and then told axed Paul Ince to use the Manchester United striker as inspiration.
Sheringham crowned a Treblewinning week with his first Keegan call-up but Ince, sent off in Sweden last year, was left out of the 22-man squad to play Sweden and Bulgaria in Euro 2000 qualifying matches early next month.
The international door was never closed, said Keegan, who pointed to 33-year-old Sheringham as proof.
Keegan broke the news to Ince less than an hour before unveiling his squad and said the midfielder was devastated.
Keegan said: "The door is still open. That's my belief. You only have to look at Teddy Sheringham to see that."
Sheringham's last England start was in last year's World Cup and he has not been in the England squad since the defeat in Sweden where Ince blotted his copybook when he was red-carded. Ince's Anfield team-mate Steve McManaman is another left out by Keegan, who said the Madridbound winger was still heartbroken by the death of his mother earlier this month.
But Robbie Fowler is recalled despite being banned for six games by the FA towards the end of the season.
England have been denied Gary Neville who needs to rest a hip injury he has been carrying throughout Manchester United's hectic run-in. And there's no place for Champions' Cup winner Nicky Butt in Keegan's midfield. Wes Brown, Frank Lampard, the injured Kevin Phillips and Nigel Martyn are the other casualties from the experimental squad Keegan named to take to Hungary.
ENGLAND SQUAD: Seaman (Arsenal), Walker (Tottenham), Wright (Ipswich), Camp- bell (Tottenham), Southgate (Aston Villa), Keown (Arsenal), Ferdinand (West Ham), P Neville (Man Utd), Le Saux (Chelsea), Woodgate (Leeds), Gray (Sunderland), Batty (Leeds), Beckham (Man Utd), Sherwood (Tottenham), Redknapp (Liverpool), Scholes (Man Utd), Parlour (Arsenal), Shearer (Newcastle), Sheringham (Man Utd), Heskey (Leicester), Cole (Man Utd), Fowler (Liverpool).
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is considering restoring the cultured skills of the Brazilian Juninho to the Premiership as he draws up an ambitious three-year plan to ensure his club's grip on European football does not weaken.
Ferguson has already made enquiries to ascertain whether Juninho is interested in returning to England.
Juninho has experienced mixed fortunes since leaving Middlesbrough for Atletico Madrid two summers ago and his departure from Spain is now regarded as inevitable. Atletico invested £12 million in the diminutive Brazilian midfielder, but it is believed they would now offload him for around £9.5 million.
Barring a last-minute hitch, United will next week complete the signing, on a Bosman-inspired free transfer, of Aston Villa's Australian international goalkeeper Mark Bosnich. Bosnich recently modified his wage demands in the hope of being selected as the successor to Peter Schmeichel, who played his last game for United against Bayern Munich in Barcelona.
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of the Dynamo Kiev right back Oleg Luzhny for a fee believed to be around £1.8 million.
Blackburn Rovers yesterday informed both Tottenham and Chelsea that they will be required to find the small matter of £12 million if they wish to sign the England striker Chris Sutton.
Sutton informed Rovers last week he intended to leave the relegated club.
Meanwhile Fulham are the latest club to show interest in the Liverpool midfielder Oyvind Leonhardsen. The Norwegian international will be allowed to leave Anfield this summer.
