Manchester City defender Micah Richards is grateful to Stuart Pearce for recalling him to the England team this week.

Richards ended a five-year absence with his appearance in defeat to Holland.

He said: "It's great having an English manager again.

"Whether it's Stuart Pearce or Harry Redknapp, the best man for the job is someone who knows the Premier League and understands English football's ins and outs.

"People have been asking me for the past 18 months why I wasn't in the squad and I couldn't answer them because I never had any idea why Capello wasn't picking me.

"It was hard to take when you're part of a team that is top of the league yet keep getting overlooked by your country.

"Capello never said anything to me. If he'd said I wasn't good enough defensively or poor going forward it might have been easier to understand.

"I just wanted an answer but I didn't get any. Being knocked down to the Under-21s was the lowest of the low for me and fighting my way back into the squad is the hardest thing I've ever done.

"That's where mental toughness comes into it. If you want to be a good player you must be strong.

"But I never gave up hope for the Euros and it's helped to have the faith of a manager like Roberto Mancini."