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Michail Antonio: I turned down Jamaica for England

West Ham's Michail Antonio has revealed he turned down the opportunity to play for Jamaica as he still has ambitions to represent England.

The forward, 25, has caught the eye since his £7m move to the Hammers last September, scoring six league goals.

He has been overlooked by England for this month's friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands.

But he told BBC Sport: "Jamaica called but if I keep doing what I'm doing hopefully I can get an England call."

Antonio, a former non-league player with Tooting & Mitcham United, has flourished on the right flank for the FA Cup quarter-finalists this season.

He was a Championship player with Nottingham Forest until his transfer to West Ham, and he said he is taking inspiration from fellow former lower league players, such as Tottenham's Dele Alli and Leicester's Jamie Vardy, both of whom have been named in Roy Hodgson's recent squad.

"You can see it with Dele Alli, he's come from League One and he's already in the England squad," Antonio told Football Focus. "You see it with Vardy. Hopefully I can get the call-up as well."

Watch Football Focus at 12:10 GMT on BBC One on Saturday, 19 March.

England squad

Roy Hodgson's team travel to Berlin to face world champions Germany on Saturday, 26 March, then host the Dutch at Wembley on Tuesday, 29 March.

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City).

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).