Castleford captain Michael Shenton has expressed his delight at a first England call-up in four years and admits he never thought he’d pull no the white shirt again.
The 28-year-old last played for England in 2010 during the Four Nations, when injury forced him out of the remainder of the tournament.
But after an impressive 2014 for the Tigers, Shenton has made the cut for the tour this autumn, and he told League Express he did worry about getting back in against some tough competition in his position.
“There’s some really good players in my position, and it’s very humbling to be selected amongst them,” said Shenton.
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“Going on tour is pretty special, and it will be a great occasion. It gives you the opportunity to achieve something that will stay with you forever. It’s a real honour to be selected; it was one of my goals at the start of the year.”
Shenton also admitted that the way his last experience with England came to an end four years ago has driven him on to get back into the fold.
“We played a friendly and then I played in the first game against New Zealand, but I busted my ankle really badly. I played on and did a bit more damage, and couldn’t play again. I stayed with the lads for a few days, but when they flew out to New Zealand they put me on a flight back to England.
“It was the last Test I played in, and we played really well that night. It’s great to go back out there on tour and I hope I can make an impact.”