Nicky Butt is a man on a mission as he lines up for England in tonight's friendly with Ukraine at St James' Park.
Butt endured a frustrating time in Portugal this summer, with a foot injury ruling him out of all of England's games in the Euro 2004 Championships.
But despite being classed as one of the older guard in the national side, Sven- Goran Eriksson resisted the temptation to leave Butt out of his squad.
And the United midfielder has seen off his club colleagues Kieron Dyer and Jermaine Jenas to land a place in tonight's starting line-up.
In his only interview before the game, Butt said: "It's always good to be involved with England, and the added bonus for me this time around is the fact that the game is being played at St James' Park.
"It'll be unusual to play there in a competitive game for England before I make my full home debut for Newcastle but hopefully there will be a decent crowd there and I can maybe get the chance to show them what I can do.
"I'm looking forward to it, especially after the injury problems in Portugal in the summer.
"The coach has brought in a few new faces but hopefully I can stake my claim for a place as it's an important time for England with the World Cup qualifiers coming up."
While Dyer faces a rough ride from the United fans in tonight's match, Butt is sure to get a great reception.
He showed with a magnificent performance at Middlesbrough on Saturday that he is already committed to United's cause.
After being a bit player behind the superstars at Old Trafford, Butt looks as though he is going to become a star in his own right and a big favourite at St James' Park.
