England axe fired up Wright-Phillips

Being dropped from the England squad can be a soul-destroying experience but if any player is equipped to return stronger than ever then it's Shaun Wright-Phillips.

When the winger, fresh from his move back to Manchester City, discovered that England coach Fabio Capello had left him out of the squad for September's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia, he could have been forgiven for feeling slighted.

After all, he scored in Fabio Capello's first match in charge against Switzerland last season and looked set to become a regular member of the Italian's squad.

But three years being treated like a spare part at Chelsea had given Wright-Phillips a steely approach to dealing with the dent to confidence and pride that comes with international exile.

The 26-year-old used the disappointment as an incentive to recapture the verve that first made him a Premier League sensation at City before his ill-fated move to Stamford Bridge.

Liberated by regular football with Mark Hughes' side and fired up to prove Capello wrong, Wright-Phillips has been in scintillating form over the last month. Capello has taken notice and restored Wright-Phillips to the squad for Saturday's qualifier against Kazakhstan at Wembley and the trip to Belarus the following Wednesday.

LONDON, Thursday AFP