I’ve not given up on England says Burns
FREDDIE Burns claims the England No.10 door “is still ajar” and he intends to barge his way through it by bursting out of the blocks for Leicester Tigers.
It is more than two years since the 26-year-old strutted his stuff on the international stage during Stuart Lancaster’s reign.
But now that the ankle injury that ended his campaign prematurely in April has cleared up, he believes he can persuade Eddie Jones to bring him in from the cold to put the heat on George Ford and Owen Farrell.
Burns, capped five times, would love to start the new Premiership campaign with a win at his old Kingsholm hunting ground on Friday night, and insists: “Playing for England again is a huge aim for me especially when I see guys like Will Evans and Mike Williams, who both got called up, which is fantastic for them.
“I still see that door ajar for me and it’s something for me to try to achieve.
“But I won’t get caught up in the trap where you get so het up about England that it makes things tougher club wise.
“I will enjoy my rugby here, go out to play at Welford Road and then hopefully if we’re in the top two or four, and competing for major honours I will be in with a chance of playing for England. It’s been a different summer for me because the operation meant I spent a lot of time at the club having treatment and getting through the stuff to help me recover with the medical staff.
“The ankle feels good and it’s now about clearing the head as well. I’ve had good run outs at Ospreys and Treviso and I am now in a position to hit the new season hard.
“I just want to get back to where I was before my injury. Confidence is key and last season I was playing with a lot of confidence. I guess it took me a little longer than I hoped to settle in here but it was the same when I was 18 and left Bath Academy to join Gloucester.
“But I was gutted to end last season with the injury. I was pretty down on myself because I’d made great strides and was showing that I can really lead the team around the park. I was also back scoring tries, kicking well and my game management was back to where I wanted it to be.
“Now I want to show people I can repeat that and do it on a consistent basis. I’ve worked hard in the gym and put a bit of weight on. I feel fit and agile, and able to run. I back my attacking game against anyone.”