WATCH: Sam Allardyce “can’t stop smiling” in first message to England fans

Sam Allardyce is officially the new England manager, and he's delighted.

The former Sunderland boss was unveiled on Friday as Roy Hodgson's permanent replacement, and has sent his first message to fans of the national team. "I can't stop smiling because I've got this job," he says. "This is a job I've been waiting for for many many years and I'm absolutely delighted." https://twitter.com/England/status/756590231592243204 Allardyce arrives off the back of an underwhelming performance at Euro 2016, with England yet again falling at the first knockout hurdle, this time with a meek surrender to underdogs Iceland. His first task will be to secure qualification for the 2018 World Cup, and he pledged to "Hopefully make everybody so proud of the England team again." England will have to get through a group including Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta in order to qualify for the finals in Russia. With two away fixtures to kick off the campaign, Allardyce will have to wait until October 8 for his first competitive game in charge of the national side at Wembley Stadium. Listen to our new GAA podcast with Colm Parkinson. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.