Gareth Southgate’s phone will have been ringing off the hook for the past few days with messages of congratulations, but also a few of concern from Premier League managers.

Mentally drained and physically depleted, England’s 23-man squad are amongst the 107 Premier League footballers returning from the World Cup, and being plunged back into their club structure.

How these players are managed over the next two-to-three months will determine both the amount of transfer activity in the January window, and potentially where the top places in the league go next May. And considering the needs of the players, by giving them time to recover rather than just offering quick fixes, will reap much greater benefits in the long run.

With the Premier League season kicking off on Aug 10, there is little time for respite. Many clubs who want a fast start to the season will be allowing their players the minimum of a three-week break, as demanded by the Professional Footballers’ Association. Others, such as Arsenal, under their new manager, Unai Emery, have opted for a longer four weeks.

The past three days will have been full of calls to agents and family to hastily arrange holidays. Sir Alex Ferguson, when he was in charge at Manchester United, took a different and perhaps enlightened approach. He asked the players to return after two weeks, especially when the national teams went deep in the tournaments. He did, though, promise them their own mini-winter break with up to 10 days off later in the season.