Fulham defender Zat Knight hopes new gaffer Lawrie Sanchez can help him win a return to the England squad.

"I'd like to get back into the international team but I've got to do it for Fulham," Knight said.

"I haven't had the best of seasons the last two so this is a big year for me. If Fulham can do well and I'm in the team then I'll be doing well and hopefully the England manager will see that.

"If you're down near the bottom nobody's going to come and watch you but if you're in the top 10 and maybe challenging for Europe, then people are going to stand up and take notice."

After the Cottagers were considerably short of numbers for most of last season, Sanchez is attempting to build a squad with genuine competition in every position.

And Knight is relishing the battle ahead as Fulham look to erase the memory of a previous campaign that saw them avoid relegation by a solitary point.

"You've got to play really well to stay in the side," he added.

"There's a lot of competition and we haven't had that for the past few years so everybody's on their toes. We haven't had that luxury.

"Expectations are really high. It was a disappointing season last season and the club's spent a lot of money so we expect to do well."