RYAN Bertrand has pinpointed extra fitness work at Saints as the reason why he was able to propel himself into the England spotlight for Euro 2016.

Bertrand and fellow Saint Fraser Forster begin their preparations for the tournament in France next month with a series of warm-up games, starting against Turkey at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow evening.

The 26-year-old left-back, who has had another exceptional season at Saints, is feeling in great shape despite coming off the back of a hectic Premier League campaign.

He was behind a queue of players in line for his Three Lions role, but has launched himself into the frame after another brilliant campaign and is now going head-to-head with Tottenham's Danny Rose as first-choice left-back.

"I feel good,” he said. "If anything I've been raising the training levels, as the season's petered out the more I have had to train. Naturally the clubs chill out a bit when the season's done but I've been trying to ensure that my fitness levels are right up there still so I can maintain the sharpness."

He added: "After lunch [at Southampton], some will go home and some will go back outside.

"I will go outside and do my fitness. It is not something you want to do in front of everyone, as if to say ‘look at me, I’m doing my work.’ But, personally, I like to maintain my fitness.

Bertrand will now aim to add to the seven caps he already has and is ready to compete for his place.

"As with anything, you have to work towards it," he said. "Nothing is a given, for any player. I wasn’t getting too caught up in anything because there is fantastic competition for places all over the pitch. I was just concentrating on my club football and hoping that would do the job."

Bertrand and Forster will hope to keep their places in the reduced 23-man squad that manager Roy Hodgson will name soon after a friendly with Australia this Friday, which comes before another game against Portugal at Wembley.

The former Chelsea man singled out Saints boss Ronald Koeman for helping him elevate his game to the international stage.

Of course, Bertrand adds further versatility to the England team after playing on number of occasions as a central defender last season.

"I was fortunate that I had a club like Southampton to go to [from Chelsea], a very forward-thinking club, who have a brilliant manager that I have been playing under," Bertrand said. "He has allowed me to express myself and here I am today. Koeman gives us a good platform, the right instructions and tactics, but allows us to do more than that.

"He doesn't tell us to remain rigid and hit a wall at the halfway line. He allows us to express ourselves and really encourages us to do more."