CHERRIES star Callum Wilson insisted he could see why England were so impressive under Gareth Southgate – and said he still had intentions to impress the national boss.

The 26-year-old striker, who earlier this month penned a new four-year contract at Vitality Stadium, featured for England under-21s under Southgate against France in November 2014.

He replaced current England captain Harry Kane after 66 minutes during his solitary appearance for the Young Lions.

Southgate led England to fourth place at Russia 2018 – the first time they had reached a World Cup semi-final in 28 years.

While Wilson had been looking on as a fan throughout the tournament, he believes a strong start to the Premier League campaign could put him into future England consideration.

Quizzed on his memories of working alongside Southgate and Kane, the former Coventry frontman told the Daily Echo: “They are proper professionals and you can see why they are getting the success they are. The manager works hard and the players work hard.

“Kane is a great player and a great person to be around. One day, hopefully, you never know, we might be team-mates.

“When you see the team doing well it’s great for the country and the players you play against week in, week out. You are watching as a fan but ultimately, one day, you want to be a part of that squad.

“It would be nice to represent my country but I think that is going to come from having a good pre-season, having a good start to the season, and focussing on Bournemouth.

“I have to make sure my performances are 10 out of 10 every week. That is when you get interest from the international manager. You have to focus on yourself first and, hopefully, that will fall into place.”

Coventry-born Wilson scored nine times for Cherries in all competitions last season, having returned in October from a second serious knee injury.

He featured during the opening 45 minutes in the Dorset club’s pre-season curtain-raiser against Sevilla at La Manga Club on Saturday.

Wilson had previously been reported as being eligible for the Republic of Ireland, but when asked by the Daily Echo, he confirmed that was not the case.

He added: “I hear about it a lot with Ireland and Scotland but I have neither of them in me! I just have Jamaican and English. I am half and half and there are no extras in there!

“My dad is Jamaican and my mum is English. First and foremost I want to represent the country I grew up in.

“If not, then you can start thinking about whether you want to play international football and go to my dad’s side of things – for now, I am keeping my options open.”

The striker will be looking to hit the ground running when Cherries begin their league campaign at home against Cardiff on Saturday, August 11.