"?Burnley goalkeeping coach Bill Mercer has been singing Tom Heaton's praises after the Clarets skipper was given his International break against Australia, becoming Burnley's first capped England player for 42 years.
Mercer offered insight into Tom Heaton's game and attitude, telling the "?Lancashire Telegraph, "First of all you think of Tom and his family and you're absolutely over the moon for them, but then you do get a sense of pride because little old Burnley just got a goalkeeper into the England team. I'm immensely proud but first of all it's for Tom, if anyone deserves it it's him for the way he trains and lives his life, everything he does is surrounded by his football and he's the model pro. It's nice to see someone like him get the rewards he deserves."
? Tom Heaton is training with @england at @WatfordFC today after earning his first senior cap on Friday. #BFC pic.twitter.com/q6hXMFT6lu
Heaton has impressively started 130 consecutive games for Burnley after signing on a free transfer from Bristol City in 2013. He's captained the side to promotion to the Premier League this summer, and Mercer believes that Tom Heaton is more than good enough to hold his own in the top flight.
He said, ""Nothing seems to get to him, good or bad, he just stays on an even keel. The great thing about Tom is he'll play on a Saturday, come him Monday and once we've done the clips of the previous game it's forgotten about, he puts it to bed and moves on and we start the preparation for the game after. That's good, bad or indifferent, how he plays or the results. He analyses it, puts it to bed and moves on. He's so calm and focused, we're not surprised at Burnley that he's England level."
He added: "We're probably a little bit biased but we're also more knowledgeable than others because we see him every week and he has been so consistent in his performances. Last year I can't remember him putting a foot wrong as a captain and a goalkeeper. Over the three years he's brought into the gaffer's methods and everything we're about. There's nobody that works harder than Tom Heaton, that's for sure."
It is one area that looks incredibly strong for England ahead of the Euro's, as Joe Hart is a world-class goalkeeper, but Fraser Forster and Tom Heaton will keep him focused and driven to keep the number one jersey.