SCOTT Dann says relegation with Birmingham has made him more determined than ever as he bids to lift Blackburn Rovers up the table and follow Phil Jones into the England squad.

Dann has endured one of the most difficult periods of his career in recent months after requiring surgery in January on a hamstring injury picked up in the first leg of Birmingham’s Carling Cup semi final against West Ham.

The 24-year-old missed out on the West Midlands club’s Wembley victory over Arsenal in the final and then had to watch from the sidelines helpless as the Blues unexpectedly slid out of the Premier League.

Dann has not played first-team football since, with uncertainty over his future meaning he was left out of Birmingham’s opening games of the new campaign, but he secured a return to the top flight by joining Rovers on transfer deadline day.

Fit again, he is keen to help the club climb away from the bottom of the league after Steve Kean’s side started the season with three straight league defeats.

And the 6ft 2in Liverpudlian also has his sights set on an England call-up one day, with former Rovers defender Jones in the squad for last night’s qualifier in Bulgaria.

"Obviously it’s an ambition of mine to play for England and hopefully I can do that in the future," said Dann, who gained two caps at under 21 level.

"Hopefully coming to a club like Blackburn can help me do that.

"I haven’t played much football lately because of all the things going on and all the speculation but I’m more determined than ever to play football.

"I don’t think I’ve ever been more determined. I’m just looking forward to it and I can’t wait to get going.

"Being injured is hard enough and then having to deal with being relegated, albeit I couldn’t really do much about that for the last couple of months being injured, you still feel part of it and it’s not a nice feeling.

"To finally get back to the Premier League has been massive for me and I’m grateful to the gaffer for showing faith in me."

Dann previously worked with Kean when the Scot was assistant manager to Chris Coleman at Coventry, with the Rovers boss already describing the defender as a potential future captain of Blackburn.

Chris Samba could potentially partner Dann in the heart of the Rovers defence after no bids were received for the long-serving centre back before the closure of the transfer window.

Reports have surfaced in recent days that Dann, also a target for QPR, only agreed to join Rovers on the proviso that Samba was staying but the player says he made no such demands.

"I didn’t know at the time what was going to happen, I was just concentrating on my own stuff," said Dann, who said he never heard of any summer bids from Arsenal and Liverpool despite speculation about their interest in him.

"But obviously when I was speaking to the gaffer he was telling me about the club and I asked what players were going to be coming in.

"Yakubu’s come in, which is a good signing, and he said no-one was going to be leaving, which makes the team even stronger.

"Being out there on the training pitch, albeit not everyone being there with the internationals being away, the quality out there is very good.

"When they all come back it’s going to be even better. We’ve got a very strong squad.

"Chris Samba is a great defender and he’s been brilliant for the club. I’m looking forward to playing alongside him.

"It’s good that he’s stayed here and no-one tried to sign him in the end."

Dann had loan spells with Danish club Koge as well as non-league sides Redditch and Hednesford before forcing himself into the first team at Walsall at the start of his career, moving to Coventry in 2009.

He switched to Birmingham two years later and formed a fine partnership with Roger Johnson, who also left the Midlands side this summer to join Wolves.