James Beattie hopes his transfer to Everton will revive his stalled England career, though he will have done little to improve his chances of a recall by criticising Sven-Goran Eriksson last night.

The 26-year-old striker was introduced as Everton's number eight yesterday having joined from Southampton for £6 million. Yet, while his immediate thoughts are on propelling his new club towards the Champions League, missing out on Euro 2004 is still playing on his mind.

"It disappointed me to slip out of the reckoning," he said. "I was dropped from the squad, which was fine, but I didn't even get a phone call or an explanation when I missed out on the European Championships. I'd have expected to be given a reason why, or at least an indication as to what I could do to get back in.

"That really set me back. It would only have taken a couple of minutes to ring me up and say why I was out. It's a shame I've drifted away from that scene but England is still very much in my thoughts and, if I get into the Everton side and score goals, maybe I can put myself back into Mr Eriksson's thoughts. I did feel comfortable at that level."

Beattie gained the last of his four caps in the 3-2 home defeat by Denmark 14 months ago, yet there was still a scramble for his signature, with Aston Villa also in the running. But it was the enthusiasm of David Moyes and his chairman Bill Kenwright which won him over. "I met Mr Ellis and Mr O'Leary (Villa), but they didn't send out the same vibes as I felt here," added Beattie. "The manager and Mr Kenwright made it clear they wanted me to be here. That was the deciding factor.

"Mr Kenwright was on the phone every 10 minutes saying: 'We can take you far, come and play for us.' He said he'd make me the next Dixie Dean. The enthusiasm really shone through and I felt wanted. Everything about the place feels right."