Micah Richards has admitted that he is delighted to be involved with the England senior team again.
The Manchester City defender managed only one appearance during former manager Fabio Capello's reign in charge of England.
However, Richards has returned from the international wilderness and started at right-back for the 3-2 loss against Holland on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old said: "People have been asking me for the past 18 months why I wasn't in the squad and I couldn't answer them because I never had any idea why Capello wasn't picking me."
Richards also claimed that having an English manager like Stuart Pearce is a great advantage for the future of the team.
"Whether it's Stuart Pearce or Harry Redknapp, the best man for the job is someone who knows the Premier League and understands English football's ins and outs," Richards added.
"It's great having an English manager again."
Richards has 14 caps for his country.
Callum Mulvihill
