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."
On this day in 2016: Aston Villa relegated from Premier League
Aston Villa were relegated from the Premier League following a 1-0 defeat away to Manchester United on this day in 2016.
Marcus Rashford’s 32nd-minute goal condemned Villa to the second tier of English football for the first time in 28 years.
Rudy Gestede hit the post with a volley late on but there was no delaying what was by then the inevitable.
It was a ninth straight defeat and 24th of the campaign for Villa in a dire season.
They would finish with only three wins and 17 points, half the tally of 19th-placed Norwich, and 22 points adrift of safety.
Villa, the 1982 European Cup winners, had been part of the Premier League since its inception and in the top flight since 1988.
But the 2015-16 season quickly turned into a horror show and they had been bottom of the table since the start of November.
Manager Remi Garde had left the previous month and Villa travelled to Old Trafford under the leadership of caretaker boss Eric Black, who never had any realistic hope of turning the tide as fans turned on the club’s American owner Randy Lerner.
At Old Trafford they were comfortably outplayed by Louis van Gaal’s United side, who were in a tight battle with neighbours City for fourth place and Champions League football – one in which they would ultimately come out second best on goal difference.
Villa spent the next three seasons in the Championship before returning to the top flight via the play-offs in 2019.
Mauricio Pochettino ‘so upset’ over Chelsea penalty bust-up despite huge win
Cole Palmer’s four-goal haul in Chelsea’s thumping 6-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge was overshadowed by what Mauricio Pochettino called “unacceptable” behaviour as two of his players were involved in a physical altercation over who should take a penalty.
The home side were four goals up in the second half when Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke caused the unsavoury scene that left their manager feeling the need to apologise to fans watching the game around the world.
Palmer, the club’s appointed penalty taker, finally took charge following intervention from the captain Conor Gallagher, recovering his composure to score his fourth of the game and move on to 20 Premier League goals for the season.
“The players know, the club knows that Palmer is the penalty-taker,” said Pochettino, who was visibly agitated during his post-match duties.
“I’m so, so upset about the situation. In every country people are watching the game and we cannot send this type of image.
“I want to apologise to our fans. Discipline is the most important thing for the team. It’s a collective sport. I’m not going to accept this type of behaviour. I’m going to be very strong. I promise it’s not going to happen again.
“We need to move on and talk about the game – 6-0 against a very good team like Everton, clean sheet, I think we should be happy, no?”
In a debut season defined by individual excellence, the first half was superb, even by Palmer’s own exceptional standards.
His first goal alone was worthy of winning a Premier League match, nutmegging Jarrad Branthwaite before playing a neat one-two with Jackson, then curling the ball left-footed beyond the dive of Jordan Pickford.
His second was a poacher’s finish, reacting quickest to knock in the rebound after Jackson’s effort had been pushed out by the goalkeeper.
Everton were falling apart, a collapse encapsulated by Pickford’s error, playing the ball straight to Palmer to punt the ball into an empty net from 45 yards.
Jackson scored Chelsea’s fourth, hooking Marc Cucurella’s cross under control and guiding it home with a swing of the right boot.
Then came the sight of Jackson and Madueke pushing and shoving over a penalty awarded in the 63rd minute.
“We don’t talk about punishment,” said Pochettino. “It’s about learning. They are young guys. It was very good the reaction of Gallagher like a captain. But you cannot show that type of behaviour.
“The discipline is going to be stronger. If they behave like kids, it’s impossible. You cannot behave like kids. It’s a shame, it’s an unacceptable thing. We don’t deserve to be talking about this.”
At the end of an excellent display, academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist capped things off by firing home his first goal for the club in stoppage time.
Everton boss Sean Dyche, whose side sit just two points clear of the relegation zone, reflected on a “horrid” night for his team.
“It’s miles off where we want to be,” he said. “There’s no excuses for that. Miles off the mark, miles from where we’ve been.
“The goals were alarmingly poor. It’s just simple tackling, reading and anticipating the game. The basics were out the window. A horrid night without a shadow of a doubt.”
Luke Hannant brace clinches Gateshead play-off place
Gateshead secured their place in the National League play-offs with a 2-1 win over champions Chesterfield, who suffered a fourth successive defeat since wrapping up the title.
The home side – facing a third game in the space of five days after losing at Fylde and Maidenhead – took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty from Luke Hannant.
Chesterfield fell further behind in the 32nd minute when midfielder Hannant converted another spot-kick – and Spireites boss Paul Cook was shown a yellow card for his protests on the touchline.
The visitors pulled a goal back on the hour mark when defender Louis Storey turned a cross into his own net, but Gateshead held on to make sure of their play-off spot.
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