Aston Villa striker Darren Bent admits he's happy after fielding a phone call from England coach Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson contacted Bent on the eve of the squad announcement to tell the star striker he hadn't made the 23-man party for the Ukraine/Poland tournament.

But Bent said he put his mobile down and felt a surge of optimism regarding his international future.

He told Villa's website: "Roy rang me the day before and outlined the reasons he couldn't pick me.

"He told me I hadn't played any games and he couldn't take the chance of taking me to a tournament.

"He was understanding and really good with me on the phone.

"He told me I still have a major part to play in international football. It was a good phonecall to be fair.

"It was really positive. He was brilliant. As far as phonecalls go, I have had three to tell me I haven't made it to a major tournament. Out of all of them, Roy's was the best.

"He told me I was important for the World Cup qualifiers and he said I had a big part to play in England getting to the Euros in the first place, which was a nice thing to say.

"He said I was firmly in his plans and it was a real shame the injury came when it did. He told me he couldn't take that risk with me. But I still came away from it feeling positive."