Fikayo Tomori is ready to put his World Cup heartbreak behind him after revealing Gareth Southgate has been keeping in regular contact.
AC Milan defender Tomori, 25, has been one of the outstanding centre halves in Serie A but incredibly has only won three England caps after making his international debut in 2019.
Former Chelsea trainee Tomori missed out on a place in the World Cup squad in Qatar but is now back to full form and fitness ahead of Southgate naming his next England squad next Thursday.
England boss Southgate has always stayed in touch with Tomori and a recall could be on the cards for the centre half after his impressive display for AC Milan helped them overdone Tottenham in the Champions League and reach the quarter finals.
Tomori said: “I always try to do my best. There was a disappointment not going to the World Cup but that's football, sometimes it happens. You just have to move on.
“Honestly, day-to-day I am not thinking about the national team, whenever that happens then it’s on your mind because you're thinking about it but I am focused on Milan and what I am doing day to day and trying to replicate what I am doing and go past the levels I have reached.
“When I moved to Milan, Gareth Southgate messaged me and spoke to me about it and when we used to go to the camps he would speak to me about how it was going.
“With him being a central defender it was interesting to talk to him about it but he has always kept in contact and we will see what happens next week.
“But honestly I haven't really been thinking about it. I have just been thinking about training every day as well as I can, trying to keep my levels as high as possible. Yeah, just trying to focus on playing well. Whatever happens with the national team happens.”
Tomori also says his experience in Milan, winning the title last year and working with club legend Paolo Maldini in the backroom staff has really pushed his career on.
“Before I arrived in Milan I knew it was a big club but since being there and seeing the fans are, they are so passionate about the team. All through Italy they are the same,” said Tomori.
“Different style and different language, those type of things play a part. It has been a great learning experience for me because throughout my whole time in England learning a certain type of way and then coming here and learning a different type of football.
“Working with Paolo and all the other great players who have been here, I have just tried to take as much as I can. It is not easy because it is very different to England but I am loving every minute of it.”
Meanwhile, Tomori also insists seven time European champions Milan are determined to go all the way in the Champions League and the England defender would not be afraid of facing his old club Chelsea in the quarter finals.
Tomori added: “We are in it to win it, I don't think we are here to make up the numbers, especially now we're in the quarter-finals, we know when we play at our maximum then we can definitely do well.
“I don't think we’re in the mindset of 'I hope we don't get this team', whichever team we play we are going to try our best and try and go through to the next round and play as well as we can.
“Chelsea? Who knows, like I said any team we play it is going to be about focusing on those two games and trying to qualify. Every team now, it was difficult before, it is going to be even more difficult now so we have to raise our level and I think we are ready for that.”
