STEWART Downing had been resigned to the fact his England career was over, making the Teessider all the more determined to make the most of his recall.

With England boss Roy Hodgson looking at building for the future, the 30-year-old former Middlesbrough winger assumed his time as an international was over.

Downing was a member of the Euro 2012 squad but had not featured for the Three Lions since the warm-up game in Norway that May.

However, the move to West Ham United and recently into a more central role has seen his lengthy hiatus come to an end, with Hodgson recalling the midfielder for the upcoming matches with Slovenia and Scotland.

"I've admitted in the past I felt my chance had passed, but I kept going and always kept trying to play well," Downing said. "It has paid off.

"Roy has been watching the games and picked me. I'm very happy to be back.

"There is a lot of new talent coming through. It's an exciting squad. I'm the third oldest so I do feel a bit old, but he's got a good mixture here."

It is a long time since Downing has been part of an England squad - so long, in fact, that they were not even based at St George's Park the last time he featured.

You could understand a player's frustration at being left out in the cold for so long but the midfielder has no complaints.

Downing accepts his form at Liverpool did not warrant a call-up and, after joining West Ham last year, believes the move into a central role has been the key to his resurgence.

"Roy has been impressed with how we've adapted to a new way of playing," he said of West Ham's impressive start to the campaign. "That's why he's called me up.

"I need to maintain that form. I spoke to Roy a couple of times. At West Ham games he's been in the changing room with the manager and we spoke very briefly. He said 'yes, you're going to get in the squad'.

"I'm here to play and perform, not just make the numbers up. I'm itching to get out there."

Downing admits he was a "little bit nervous coming in" after such a long time out of the international fold, but the overriding emotion is excitement.

He believes there is some "great talent" in the England set-up and has been impressed by the way they have responded to the World Cup embarrassment.

"They've got a lot of young lads under pressure and they've dealt with it really well," Downing said.

"It's going to take time. Roy has to build the team here and it will take maybe a couple of campaigns to get going but I think Roy is doing a good job."