Eric Dier has thanked Antonio Conte and his Tottenham team-mates for helping him earn a recall to the England squad, which he hopes is "just a starting point".
Spurs defender Dier has been called up by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming Nations League matches with Italy and Germany.
The most recent of his 45 caps came in November 2020, but an upturn in form at club level has Dier in contention for a World Cup spot.
Dier's improved performances have coincided with the appointment of Conte last November, and the 28-year-old is confident he can continue his upward trajectory.
"I am just looking forward to going and I think as my manager [Conte] said during the week, for me it is my ambition for this just to be a starting point for me," he said.
"I think I can still do a lot more. Honestly, [a recall] wasn't what I was thinking about.
"I was just thinking about being as good a player as I can be for Tottenham and everything else that happens is a consequence of that.
"I think that's the only thing I had to focus on and the only thing that was in my control. Everything else that happens, happens.
"I'm just thankful for the way my team-mates, coaching staff and everyone at Tottenham has supported me, pushed me and tried to help me get back to the national team."
Dier started all four of England's matches at Euro 2016 and was used six times at the 2018 World Cup, but he was not part of Southgate's squad for Euro 2020.
He is back involved with the Three Lions after performing at a consistent level across Tottenham's nine games this season, during which he has scored twice.
The most recent of those goals came in Saturday's 6-2 win against Leicester City, with Son Heung-min grabbing the headlines after scoring a 13-minute hat-trick.
And Dier joked Son, who was dropped for the first time this season after failing to score in his first eight outings, should start on the substitutes' bench regularly.
"We told him the manager should drop him more often if he scores a hat-trick every half an hour," Dier said.
"Everyone is delighted for him. Obviously for someone who lives for scoring goals it has been a difficult start to the season.
"I think that's no secret. But he's come back in an emphatic way today – the floodgates have opened."
Al-Nassr 1-1 Al-Hilal: Mitrovic scores last-gasp penalty
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time as Al-Hilal denied Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr victory in a 1-1 draw.
Mitrovic netted his 27th Saudi Pro League goal of the campaign after Sadio Mane was harshly judged to have fouled Saud Abdulhamid in the area.
Mane stuck out an arm to shield the ball, catching his opponent in the throat, though the contact appeared to have been outside of the box.
Mitrovic made no mistake to keep Al-Hilal's unbeaten campaign going.
The Serbian's spot-kick cancelled out Otavio's first-minute opener, with Ronaldo having set up his compatriot.
Champions Al-Hilal remain 12 points clear of Al-Nassr at the summit of the Pro League standings.
Data Debrief: Ronaldo the provider
Ronaldo leads the scoring charts in Saudi Arabia this season, though he had to settle for an assist on Friday.
That came from the only chance he created, with the 39-year-old limited to 25 touches, though he did have four shots.
Postecoglou reflects on 'worst experience' as a manager in Man City defeat
Tottenham's Ange Postecoglou had "the worst experience" he has had during his managerial career when Spurs lost to Manchester City.
Spurs went down 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, as City went top of the Premier League heading into the final day of the season.
There was a peculiar atmosphere, with Spurs supporters seemingly torn as to whether to fully back their team, given a positive result would have all but handed Arsenal, their biggest rivals, the title.
Postecoglou was in spiky form in the post-match media conference, suggesting there was a "fragility" to the club.
On Friday, ahead of Spurs' final game of the season against relegated Sheffield United, the Australian explained he feared people would question his integrity.
"That's probably the worst experience I've had as a football manager in a game," he said.
"Once I realised I'd got it wrong in terms of what the atmosphere was going to be like and what people felt, I got a real anxiety within me of, 'What happens if Man City, the best team in the world, who were disposing of teams quite easily in the lead-up, what if we play as well as we can but they beat us 5-0?'
"I got cold sweats thinking about people questioning my integrity and the people I work with.
"Even watching the game back, there was a comment on the commentary, 'Oh, Tottenham are having a real go here'.
"That's why I was animated on the night. I didn't enjoy the night.
"I needed the boys – and credit to them – aside from everything else, their football was outstanding on the night. That was important for our football club. It would have cast aspersions on us as a football club. I don't think anyone can say we didn't make Man City earn that win the other night.
"It could have gone a very different way, just by Man City being Man City."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sheffield United – Ben Brereton Diaz
Brereton Diaz has scored six goals for the Blades since he arrived on loan from Villarreal, and may be out to end on a high note in order to try and secure a Premier League move for next season.
Tottenham – James Maddison
Maddison has created 62 chances for Tottenham in the Premier League this season, the most by a player in their debut season for Spurs since Christian Eriksen in 2013-14 (68). It is the most overall by an Englishman since Dele Alli in 2017-18 (64).
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Spurs have lost five of their last six Premier League matches (W1), one more than in their previous 18 games combined (W10 D4 L4). However, they are unbeaten in 11 games against the side starting the day bottom (W8 D3), scoring 35 goals.
The Blades have a goal difference of -66 – defeat by four goals here will see them finish the campaign with the worst goal difference in Premier League history (currently -69 by Derby County in 2007-08).
They have conceded 101 Premier League goals this season, the outright most in a single campaign. In a top-flight season with a maximum of 20 teams, only Leicester in 1908-09 (102) and Darwen in 1891-92 (112) have shipped more.
Tottenham have lost their final league game in just one of the last 13 seasons (W10 D2), with that loss coming at already-relegated Newcastle United in 2015-16 (1-5).
Tottenham won 3-1 in their last away league game against Sheffield United, last winning consecutive visits to Bramall Lane in December 1975.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sheffield United – 11.7%
Tottenham – 67.7%
Draw – 20.6%
Al-Ittihad pegged back as winless run rolls on
Mohamed Sherif scored late on as Al-Ittihad's winless run in the Saudi Pro League stretched to four games after a 1-1 draw with Al-Khaleej.
Al-Ittihad have endured a miserable title defence, and with just two games remaining, the highest the big-spending, PIF-backed club can finish is fourth.
Muhannad Al Shanqiti put them ahead on the stroke of half-time, yet despite having a further eight shots and accumulating 1.07 xG in the second half, Al-Ittihad could not add another.
Their profligacy proved costly in the 81st minute, with Egypt international Sherif snatching an equaliser for 11th-placed Al-Khaleej.
Al-Tai moved out of the relegation zone with a surprise 3-1 win over seventh-placed Al-Fateh, with Bernard Mensah scoring twice.
Al-Raed, meanwhile, claimed a 1-0 win at Al-Wehda.
Data Debrief: Kante the creator?
On the day he received a surprising France recall, N'Golo Kante created three chances for Al-Ittihad, leading the team.
On the flip side, Kante only attempted one tackle, with the midfielder showing a different side to his game, not that it proved fruitful for his team.
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