Former Preston, West Ham and Derby defender Tyrone Mears is hoping he can get more game time with French club Marseille in a bid to win a place in the England squad.

The 26-year old made the move to the French Ligue 1 club last summer and said he does not regret the move from Pride Park and is hoping his experience in France's top league will improve him greatly as a player.

"It was my choice to leave Derby County where I got good wages," Mears told Aujourd'hui Sport.

"I didn't want to play at the bottom of the league [with Derby]. So I asked to leave. The Marseille officials came and got me.

"I came to l'OM to play in Europe and to [help them] top the L1 ranking. To me Marseille is a springboard to the English team, which is a big motivation.

"I can now understand why so many young French players are hired by English top teams."