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Lampard refused to go as far as David Beckham, who has always said he would answer his country's call until the day he hangs up his boots. But the 33-year-old was certainly determined to keep his place in the starting line-up for next month's final European Championship qualifier in Montenegro and beyond. Chelsea midfielder Lampard was controversially left out of Friday's 3-0 Group G win in Bulgaria, the first time he had not started a competitive international when available for four years. That led some to predict he was all but finished as an England player but Lampard was adamant after being recalled for Tuesday night's victory over Wales that he still had the hunger to play for his country. "One thing I do know is that, while I can give everything, I will give everything," he said. "And the only time I would probably not play for England is when the manager doesn't want pick me any more - which can happen - or whether I find it a lot more beneficial for me in terms of my long-term career that I don't want to play, and I'm certainly not near that." Lampard insisted he had never considered himself undroppable. "People like to give off the idea that players are expecting to play every game and we've never been like that," he said. "We're all professionals and driven, and our egos are only our desire to succeed individually and as a group, and we haven't quite done that for England. "It should be competitive and I've had phases before where I've sat on the bench for England. "The furore, I tried to stay away from this week and just tried to keep my head down and concentrate. He added: "I'm 33 and once you hit 30 or 33 then people will always start talking up the 'old' thing. "I'm here in the squad and very proud to be an England player." Manager Capello revealed after leaving out Lampard on Friday that he had selected his side on current form. "He talks about picking people on form and I want to be on form, and I hope I will be," said Lampard, who claimed he felt "excited" rather than threatened by watching younger midfielders come to the fore in the past year.
