ROVERS midfielder David Thompson says a recall to the England squad is his goal after breaking back into Mark Hughes' side.
Thompson, who has blighted by injury for the last couple of seasons, is aiming to force his way back into Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans by impressing in a blue and white shirt.
And if Wednesday night was anything to go by that could be sooner rather than later. The diminutive midfielder helped change Rovers' Carling Cup tie against Charlton with a 30-yard screamer that saw Rovers come from two goals behind to book their place in the quarter-finals.
But Thompson is targeting silverware and a recall to the England squad, a feat he achieved in 2002, as he begins to get his career back on track
He said: "Getting back into the England squad is the one thing I'm determined to do. I don't want to come back and then say I was nearly there. I want to come back, work hard and get into it (the England squad).
"At the time when I was playing well, it was probably when all the practice and hard work was coming together and I was beginning to play well.
"But to get shot down with injury was a bit frustrating but you have to stop looking back at the bad times and start looking forward."
And he said that seeing his old England under-21 team-mates doing well in the senior squad makes even more determined to hit the heights once again.
"It gives me an incentive," he added. "Most of the players I played with at Under-21 level have all gone on and done well like Frank (Lampard) and Rio (Ferdinand), Stevie (Gerrard) and Jamie (Carragher) and players like that. It's frustrating to see them go on and be so successful and at the same time my career has seemed to go backwards."
But the 28-year-old says that Rovers will be going all out to win the Carling Cup. Rovers will find out their quarter-final opponents today and Thompson said the Rovers squad are hungry for silverware.
"When I was at Liverpool, we were always unfortunate because with the squads we had we should have won a lot more," he said. "And the season I left they went and won five trophies!
"We want to be successful. If you look around our dressing room there's not many players who have won trophies. Your career is only short, and I know that more than anyone. When you're watching on the sidelines and you see a couple of years of your career just pass away it makes you more determined and we're all determined as a group."
Thompson missed out on Rovers last major success, winning the Worthington Cup in 2002, because of injury but he's keen to get back there again.
He added: "I don't think it's a case of just owing it to myself. Every season when step out on to the pitch you try your hardest and not just say 'Oh, it's only just the League Cup'. You really have to make every effort to go as far as we can in this competition because if we can get to the semi-finals then you never know."
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