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After a winter during which his international career was effectively written-off by many observers, Darren Gough has insisted that he is fit and ready for an England recall - and he is confident that it will come.
Gough's last Test was in July 2002, and although he travelled to Australia as part of the England squad, his knee injury meant that he returned home without taking any meaningful part in the tour.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5, Gough, who took six wickets for Yorkshire in their opening Championship match last week, said that he was keen to get his England contract back. "It's something I've worked really hard at and they [ the England selectors] have been watching. If I'm bowling anything like I can I have no doubt I will be invited back into the England fold. If I thought the captain and the selectors didn't want me to play again, I wouldn't be doing all this."
When Gough returned home from Australia it was feared that his career might be over. But although he has bounced back, he is not taking anything for granted. "I was really pleased by the way I went last week, it was better than I expected ? I'm just happy to be playing at the moment. You never know, I might wake up in two weeks' time and can hardly walk so then it might be time to walk away. But at this moment in time I'm full of happiness and looking forward to playing every game.
"They said in Australia I'd never play again, and I had resigned myself to that," he added. "But all the hard work has been worth it just to get back playing again."
But Nasser Hussain warned that Gough needed to be careful. "Let's make sure that he's back fitness wise," he said, "because once you get to a Test match you can't look after people. It has to be full on."
Gough's last Test was in July 2002, and although he travelled to Australia as part of the England squad, his knee injury meant that he returned home without taking any meaningful part in the tour.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5, Gough, who took six wickets for Yorkshire in their opening Championship match last week, said that he was keen to get his England contract back. "It's something I've worked really hard at and they [ the England selectors] have been watching. If I'm bowling anything like I can I have no doubt I will be invited back into the England fold. If I thought the captain and the selectors didn't want me to play again, I wouldn't be doing all this."
When Gough returned home from Australia it was feared that his career might be over. But although he has bounced back, he is not taking anything for granted. "I was really pleased by the way I went last week, it was better than I expected ? I'm just happy to be playing at the moment. You never know, I might wake up in two weeks' time and can hardly walk so then it might be time to walk away. But at this moment in time I'm full of happiness and looking forward to playing every game.
"They said in Australia I'd never play again, and I had resigned myself to that," he added. "But all the hard work has been worth it just to get back playing again."
But Nasser Hussain warned that Gough needed to be careful. "Let's make sure that he's back fitness wise," he said, "because once you get to a Test match you can't look after people. It has to be full on."
