ROVERS legend Derek Fazackerley believes David Dunn has what it takes to work his way back into the England reckoning.

Dunn, who returned to Ewood Park in January in a £2.2m move from Birmingham, is starting to look like the player who earned a full England cap back in 2002 against Portugal after an injury-plagued three years at St Andrews.

Fazackerley helped Dunn and a young Damien Duff in his time as a coach at Ewood Park in the late 1990s.

And the Manchester City first team coach, Rovers' all-time club appearance record holder with 674 games in the famous blue and white halves, says his former charge could make it back to the highest level once again.

He said: "David was one of the young players coming through when I was at Rovers along with Damien Duff, Damien Johnson, Martin Taylor and players like that.

"There's no doubt that David is a very talented player.

"He struggled for about two years with hamstring injuries and hopefully that's behind him now.

"I think, first and foremost, he needs six months playing on a regular basis and then maybe he can look to get back into the England team.

"There's lots of competition for places in midfield in the England team at the moment.

"But, at the moment, Frank Lampard is injured and Steven Gerrard is injured so you never know when the opportunity is going to come up and you have to be ready for it.

"If David does well for Rovers, that will put him back into the spotlight and the opportunity may present itself."

And he used Rovers' own David Bentley as a case in point.

Bentley was selected for Steve McClaren's squad to face Israel and Russia next week after a blistering start to the new campaign after he was snubbed for England's friendly against Germany for his no-show for the England Under-21s in the summer.

Fazackerley added: "David Dunn is in the same situation."