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Aaron Lennon today admitted he has England coach Fabio Capello to thank for helping turn him into one of the most feared wingers in the world.
Lennon is set to start his third game in a row for the national team against Belarus tonight and appears certain to make Capello's World Cup squad next year.
It is a huge turnaround for the Tottenham winger, who went to the World Cup in Germany only to fall out of favour under Steve McLaren and saw his club performances temporarily deteriorate too.
Lennon's chances of playing in consecutive tournaments looked doomed after he went two years without getting an international cap, but Capello gave him an opportunity against Slovakia in March and he has thrived ever since.
He was named man of the match in England's 5-1 demolition of Croatia last month after his pace and skill on the right flank proved too much for Slaven Bilic's side.
Lennon believes working under Capello has helped him play the best football of his career and said: "He has been brilliant. It's everything about him, the way he is around the hotel, the way he carries himself and the discipline he has brought to the team is excellent. If you look at the results it's definitely working.
"Obviously he's been good to me, I had been out of the squad for a long time so for him to put me back in was brilliant. It's good to know that I've already been to a World Cup, that experience has helped me a great deal.
"It came at a very young age, I'd just turned 19 at the time and it was great to be there. It's only made me more hungry I want to be around that environment again and again."
Lennon's chances of starting for England in South Africa are high, especially as he has established himself as one of the fastest players in the world.
He added: "It's definitely a natural gift. My whole family are the same, they have great speed and are athletic. My Dad, my sisters, brothers are all quick so it's definitely in the family. From a very young age I knew I had it, I was always one of the quickest in the group in all the sports I took part in. It's continued as I've got older, and it's definitely a big plus for me."
But Lennon has urged his England team-mates to make sure they get back to winning ways against Belarus and begin a new unbeaten run.
The defeat to Ukraine on Saturday ended their 100 per cent record in Group Six and Lennon said: "We go into every match wanting to win and we'll approach this game like it was the first qualifier, not the last. We want to keep our run going, because once you get into that winning habit you want to continue."
Read the full interview in the official England programme. Visit TheFA.com/EnglandProgrammes for your copy.
Reader views (1)
I first saw Lennon on TV, trap in one instant a cross field pass, move down the wing and beat 2 defenders, If a Brazilian had done that, the commentators would have been frothing at the mouth.
Commentators used to constantly criticise his crossing..which was not the best and comparing it to Beckhams..but then failed to bear in mind a certain Ryan Giggs, whose crossing AND shooting were not the best in the world but look at his record.
The last player that we had of his class was Paul gascoine. In any match if substions had to be made, apart from the Golie, Lennon would be the last person I would change as he can turn a match in an instant and can only get better.
- Clif, London, 14/10/2009 18:46
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