Campbell excited by England chance

After a frustrating season at club level, Fraizer Campbell is relishing the opportunity to play a full part in England's challenge for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Frustrating campaign
The Manchester United FC striker spent 2008/09 at Tottenham Hotspur FC but started just one Premier League match and managed only one goal. After the elation of his loan spell the previous season – when Campbell's 15 goals helped Hull City AFC win promotion to the top flight for the first time – it was a reminder of the harsh realities of life for a young player, a lesson Campbell has clearly absorbed. "It's been a tough season for me, frustrating – I've not played a lot of games but I'm playing for England now and getting some minutes on the pitch," said the man responsible for England's opening goal in Thursday's win against Spain that booked a semi-final place. "Hopefully I can get some more and it'll be a good end to the season."

'Great attitude'
Despite his struggles at club level the 21-year-old has cemented his place in Stuart Pearce's squad this term, and cameo roles in victories against Finland and Spain have only reinforced the England manager's admiration for the forward. "He's improving as an international player; in both matches he's come on and made a major contribution," Pearce said on the eve of the third and final Group B game against Germany. "His energy and commitment for the team cause is fantastic – he's very unselfish. He's been a major contributor to the Under-21 side but there's more to come from him as a player, at this level and in general. He's got an eye for goal and a great attitude to football, he wants to learn and be better and everything I've asked of him he's put into practice straight away. He's going in the right direction. His career's going to improve and improve."

'High standards'
Campbell's long-term future may lie with a permanent return to Hull, who had a reported €7.1m bid accepted by United at the start of the month, but for now the striker is solely focused on firing Pearce's squad to glory in Sweden. Only a draw is required for England to win the group – a result which would also secure a semi-final berth for Germany – but the message coming out of the England camp has emphasised that there will be no let-up in Halmstad. "This is a big game for us and we want to carry on doing well," said Campbell. "It's been a good tournament so far; I've come on in both games and we've won both. The team's been doing alright together but obviously we can do a lot better. We set high standards for ourselves and try to continue that in every game we play. We weren't great in the first game, we improved in parts in the second but there's still a lot more to come. Hopefully we can peak at the right time and go all the way."