I never gave up on England, says Ryan Bertrand

Ryan Bertrand says he never gave up on playing for England and felt "brilliant" making his first appearance for nearly three years against Italy.

His late substitute outing in Turin in March added to two previous caps he collected in 2012 during the opening games of England’s qualifying campaign for the World Cup in Brazil.

But the Southampton left-back has had to wait his turn in a position where Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson has had plenty of options to pick from.

Now, after a fine season at the Saints which saw him named in the PFA’s team of the year, the 25-year-old is targeting more international honours.

“It was a brilliant feeling to get back into the fold and get on the pitch for a few minutes. It was a big positive for me personally,” said Bertrand as he prepared at St. George’s Park for England’s upcoming trip to Dublin.

“I never gave up. I thought personally it was about getting that consistency and playing time at a really high level for a sustained period.

“I was positive that if I could achieve that an England cap would come.”

He added: “Left-back is one of our strongest areas. That can only be fantastic for the country – that we can have top performing player in that position, whoever it may be.

“For me personally to finish the season being selected for the last two internationals is a highlight. If I get playing time and more caps I will be more than happy.”

Having grown up at Chelsea, Bertrand’s career highlight came in 2012 when he won the Champions League with the Blues, playing a starring role in the Final as they beat Bayern Munich on the German’s home patch.

He followed that up later the same year playing for Great Britain at the London Olympics and believes the big match experience has given him great confidence.

“I would probably feel that more internally than I would show,” he said. “But having been thrown into some of the biggest games in football it gives me great confidence inside.

“I don't rely on [the Champions League Final] but you can always call back to it. You go through good and bad spells, but if you are in a bad spell you can pull yourself out of it because you understand you have been in the deepest jungles football can bring.

“That gives you confidence again.”

Having spent a number of spells out on loan from Stamford Bridge, including at Southampton at the start of this campaign, Bertrand made his move to St. Mary’s a permanent one in January.

Ryan Bertrand won his third England cap against Italy

With regular Premier League action for Ronald Koeman’s side the Londoner has enjoyed a fruitful season on the south-coast.

He has also seen his club-mate and fellow full-back Nathaniel Clyne flourish both a club level and as a starter in England’s last four games and admits he has been spurred on by his team-mate.

“He has been fantastic for us this season. Personally as a player it is brilliant and fills you with confidence if you see your fellow full-back marauding down the right side. That makes you want to go marauding down the left side after.

“We push each other on. If he gets a cross in I want to get a cross in. If he is blocking crosses, I need to be blocking crosses too. We need to be working together in that sense."

He added: “When I left Chelsea to join Southampton I wasn't too stressed about putting on the pressure of getting back into the England fold so soon.

“It was about getting that playing time, getting that consistency and taking it one step at a time. Southampton is a fantastic club under the management of Ronald Koeman, and a lot of us managed to flourish in a short space of time.

“To have gone through the things I have been through, and learnt under the managers I have, I had massive self-belief. I had quiet confidence but knew it was about getting the stability and getting in a team that plays the right way for my type of play.

“I was sure I was capable of taking care of the rest.”