Barry and Terry aim high for England

Villa midfielder called into squad after withdrawals of Murphy and Dyer as Chelsea defender targets debut in South Africa

England flew out to South Africa yesterday for Thursday's friendly with a squad that included two players now back in contention for places after long and frustrating waits.

Gareth Barry, Aston Villa's left-sided midfielder, was recalled to the full England set-up after a two-and-a-half-year absence yesterday, following the withdrawal Liverpool's Danny Murphy and Newcastle's Kieron Dyer with injury. Barry's predecessor as England Under-21 captain, John Terry, is hoping to earn his debut after his enforced absence last year because of a court case.

The 22-year-old Chelsea defender has been able to put his legal matter well behind him - he was unanimously cleared last August of charges of actual bodily harm and wounding with intent following a fracas at a night-club. But he still has ground to make up in his international career after a traumatic period which might have cost him a place in the World Cup squad.

The fact that Terry has been retained from the squad chosen for the recent matches against Liechtenstein and Turkey has strengthened his confidence that he can soon make the step up to the level of football that his form this season for Chelsea has suggested is well within his capability. If he can shrug off the thigh injury which prevented him training yesterday, he can further his cause with an appearance in at least one of the three matches looming up for England - Thursday's friendly, and the one against Serbia andMontenegro on 3 June, followed by the European Championship qualifier against Slovakia at Middlesbrough on 11 June.

Speaking after receiving intensive treatment on his thigh yesterday, Terry made clear the efforts he has put into turning himself into a model professional following his brush with the law. Last summer he took stock of his career, and his life, taking advice from his family and close friends such as his Chelsea team-mate Gianfranco Zola. "I knew I had to sort myself out," he said. "I've obviously made mistakes, and I hold my hand up to that. But I've really knuckled down this year. I'm doing a lot of extra work in the gym, and looking after myself in what I eat and drink.

"To be a professional footballer is something I had always dreamed off, and I had to start acting the right way.

"I've been playing a lot of golf with Gianfranco, and we've had little chats on the course. He has told me I have a big future with Chelsea and I have to work a little bit harder." For Terry, the 19th hole is the Zola household, where he has been educated in the regular preparations of healthy pasta meals. The young defender has had just one alcoholic drink since his court verdict, a glass of champagne on his birthday on 7 December.

Having forced his way back into the team last season, breaking up the outstanding defensive partnership of Marcel Desailly and William Gallas, he has every reason to be satisfied with his progress as he looks forward to Chelsea's European Champions' League campaign next season.

But Terry's cup has been prevented from overflowing by an increasingly fractious relationship with his club over the renewal of his contract. Having agreed to start talks on a new four-year, £25,000 per week deal, Terry has been frustrated by a lack of action on behalf of the club's directors.

"The chairman said he wanted to sit down and negotiate with me this summer, but I haven't heard anything from the club," Terry said. "It's a little bit frustrating when Chelsea's future is looking good and things aren't being sorted out. You see players at other clubs being rewarded for doing well. I don't feel as if I've been rewarded for what I've done over the last few seasons. I've had the same deal for two years, and if things can't be resolved I'm going to have to start thinking about my own future. I don't want to be up there with the likes of Jimmy [Hasselbaink] and Marcel. I just want to be on a nice level."

Barry, who won the last of his six caps against Italy in Turin in November 2000, was sporting a skinhead haircut as he joined in yesterday morning's work-out at Arsenal's London Colney training ground. In fact, just 17 of Eriksson's 25 players took part in England's first training session before the Durban fixture.

The Leeds right-back Danny Mills reported to the team hotel but was excused to deal with a personal issue in Yorkshire, while Newcastle's Jermaine Jenas was due to join up with the squad after dealing with a private matter in the North-East.

Arsenal's Ashley Cole and the Southampton pair, Wayne Bridge and James Beattie, have been excused from the South Africa game due to Saturday's FA Cup final, while Owen Hargreaves misses the match because of Bayern Munich's involvement in the German Cup final next week.