Lee Cattermole has revealed that he has set himself the target to play for England.
The Sunderland midfielder has been close to receiving a call from Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson in recent times but is yet to be involved with the national team setup.
After recent calls for the likes of Newcastle United's Jack Colback and Aston Villa's Fabian Delph, Cattermole has his eyes on at least some involvement in the England squad in the very near future.
"Getting into the squad has become a goal for me," said Cattermole.
"It would mean an awful lot to me to get a call-up.
"The wider perception is that players don't care but a lot of the time, it's just trying to be cool around each other, not letting on how much you really do care. Every English player would be lying if they said they were not looking to play for England."
The hard-tackling Cattermole added: "In recent years England was not something for me to be too interested in because of the names that were playing, the Gerrards and Lampards.
"But you see the lads getting opportunities now and that has got to be a motivation for me. It's something I'm trying to achieve.
"England is going through a cycle of change right now. It's a great opportunity for the lads who are in there but also for those who are looking to get there - lads like Tom Huddlestone, Mark Noble and myself."
