Wednesday 25 November 2015 11:35, UK
Luther Burrell says former England coach Stuart Lancaster "broke" him and "let him down" by leaving him out of the World Cup squad.
Rugby League convert Sam Burgess was controversially preferred to the Northampton centre, who had been one of England's stars in the Six Nations campaign just six months before.
England went on to flop badly at the World Cup, failing to qualify for the quarter-finals, and that cost Lancaster his job; the head coach agreeing by mutual consent with the RFU to step down.
Australian Eddie Jones has been appointed as his replacement and Burrell is intent on winning his place back, but he says being told that he had missed the cut for the World Cup squad by Lancaster was an experience he wants to forget.
"He let me down, that's how I feel about him," said Burrell, who revealed how Lancaster told him. "It was 8 o'clock in the morning, I was the first one in. He obviously wanted to get the tough one out of the way first. As soon as I walked in the office I knew. I could see it on his face.
My issue wasn't Sam Burgess. We have spoken. He had an opportunity of a lifetime - who would turn that down?
"It was just…boom. I'm not saying I deserved to be there, but I didn't think I had done anything to justify not getting selected.
"That was one of the most heartbreaking things for me because I had trained and played well in the jersey. I felt I had done everything I possibly could to warrant a place in the team."
Burrell insists that he has no issue with Burgess, who has since decided to return to rugby league.
"My issue wasn't Sam. We have spoken," he said. "He had an opportunity of a lifetime - who would turn that down?"
As for his relationship with Lancaster - who he has known since he was 15 - he said: "I'm not going to hold it against him for the rest of my life. I'm sure at some point we'll have a brew. I've had to move on, mature as a player and a person. I went away, travelled to a few countries in Europe and spent a lot of time on my own just clearing my thoughts.
"When I came back I was so fired up. I'm very driven to get back in that England set-up and do well for Northampton. It was a rocky road, but I'm back on my feet now and I'm flying."
