Ruben Loftus-Cheek has claimed he "completely forgot" about pushing for an England recall.
Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel has reinstated AC Milan midfielder Loftus-Cheek to the England squad for the upcoming matches against Andorra and Serbia.
The 29-year-old’s last appearance for the national team came in November 2018, when England faced the United States in a friendly.
Loftus-Cheek’s inclusion follows the withdrawal of Adam Wharton, who suffered an adductor injury in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
— England (@England) September 3, 2025
Familiar territory for @RLC
The #ThreeLions midfielder discusses his relationship with Thomas Tuchel. pic.twitter.com/yl5jebrFjO
The former Chelsea midfielder conceded that he did not believe he would play for his country again.
"I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead," he said, as reported by BBC Sport.
Loftus-Cheek’s England call-up sets up a reunion with his former Chelsea boss Tuchel, under whom he made 40 appearances in all competitions during the 2021-22 campaign as either a right wing-back or midfielder.
"I played many positions under Tuchel and he values my physicality so I am used to working under him," Loftus-Cheek added.
"He is very intelligent and knows the game so well. Hopefully, we can do well to connect with him."
Loftus-Cheek joined Milan in 2023 and has made 71 appearances for the Italian giants, registering 11 goals and three assists.
This includes the opening goal in the Rossoneri’s last match, a 2-0 victory over Lecce, in which he also recorded four shots, one key pass, and 90.9% pass accuracy as Milan collected their first Serie A points of the 2025-26 season.
England face Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday, before an away tie against Serbia next week.