MEL CLEWLOW has taken the first steps towards a return to international hockey.

The 28-year-old Canterbury ladies’ captain quit the international game last summer following Great Britain’s failure to qualify for the Athens Olympics.

But the appointment of her former club coach Danny Kerry as the new national head coach has prompted the experienced defender into a re-think and she travelled to train with the England squad on Monday.

Clewlow says she knows her decision to attempt a return will attract criticism in some quarters, but she feels she still has something to offer the national team.

She said: "When I made the decision last year it was the right one for me at the time, but I spoke to Danny and he said he’d like me to play.

"I don’t know how it’s going to work out. I could be back for another four years or I might only last two weeks, but I wanted to give it another try.

"I know I’m not where I should be in terms of my fitness but I don’t expect Danny to treat me differently from anyone else. If I get in the squad it will be on merit."