Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge says the circumstances surrounding the injury he picked up while on international duty earlier this season have not affected his desire to play for England.
Sturridge, 25, injured his thigh while training with England in September, just two days after playing in the 1-0 friendly win over Norway.
That led Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to claim his England counterpart Roy Hodgson had been over-training the striker, although Sturridge himself insists he has no problem with what happened.
"Regardless of what happened in the past, I love playing for England," Sturridge told the Daily Mail. "That situation occurred and it's in the past. I don't want to dwell on it.
"People pick injuries up and they are unfortunate. It just so happened I got injured that day. It's life. People get injured sometimes. It is what it is.
"My relationship with the England manager is top class. No worries at all. We speak via text. We speak to each other, we keep in touch. Throughout my injury, he kept in touch.
"I would never blame him for this. Never. Or any of the staff -- it was just an unfortunate incident. I have got so much respect and admiration for him and his set-up. The relationship is very, very good."
Sturridge went on to miss five months of the season and did not return to the Liverpool team until the end of January.
However, the England international is now fully fit -- scoring three goals since his return -- and he credits his strong faith in helping him through his period on the sidelines.
"I am grateful to God for everything that I have had in the past and everything I will have in the future," he told Liverpool's official website.
"You have setbacks, you have comebacks, you have glories, you don't have glories. Not everything is going to be rosy and sweet all the time. There are going to be times in your life when you go through certain situations that test your character, test your courage, test your faith, test your self-belief, test everything.
"There is no doubt in my mind. I believe in myself, I believe in God, I have faith, I have faith in my abilities. I have no worries about anything. I know that I will come back to scoring goals regularly and doing what I love, playing every game. I will get the time back at the end of my career because I haven't got the miles on the clock. The car's been fixed but the miles aren't there."
Sturridge went on to speak about Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, saying that the club will find it very hard to replace the midfielder when he departs for LA Galaxy in the summer.
"This guy is a living legend," said Sturridge. "Words can't describe what he has done not just for the club but for the players as well. He helps players settle in, young players. He takes them under his wing. We will never be able to repay him for that.
"His stature and his demeanour will be very difficult to replace but we have to. It will take time. That guy will always be a legend in my eyes. I am in awe of him now."