<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.4/89709?ns=guardian&pageName=Jay+Bothroyd+claims+year+in+Italy+helped+him+become+an+England+player%3AArticle%3A1480147&ch=Football&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=England+football+team%2CFootball%2CSport&c5=&c6=Press+Association&c7=10-Nov-15&c8=1480147&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Football&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FFootball%2FEngland" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">• Cardiff striker called-up for Wednesday's friendly with France<br />• Says season at Perugia made him a 'more mature person'</p><p>Jay Bothroyd has credited his year in Italy with turning his career around and seeing him this week become a member of the England squad.</p><p>The 28-year-old might have taken his time to reach the highest level and has had to bypass the Premier League entirely after winning his first international call-up ahead of Wednesday's friendly with France at Wembley. But the Cardiff striker views his season at Perugia, in 2003, as the most important of his career, bringing his focus back after he had failed to match the promise of his teenage years.</p><p>"It has been a long journey but I have picked up a lot of experience along the way," he said. "I went to Italy and came back a more mature person. I was more focused on getting what I want from my career."</p><p>What Bothroyd did not want to be remembered for was throwing his shirt down in disgust at the end of a cup final in his youth days with Arsenal. One of the most highly-rated members of a team that included Ashley Cole and Jermaine Pennant, it seemed Bothroyd had the world at his feet. It turned out to be his shirt, which he threw at the feet of Arsenal coach Don Howe after a particularly disappointing performance.</p><p>Bothroyd was ejected from Arsenal, tipping him onto a career path that has encompassed Coventry, Blackburn, Charlton, Wolves, Stoke and Cardiff in addition to that year in Serie A.</p><p>"I was a lot younger then," he reflected. "It was a massive mistake. Arsenal are a great club with a great manager. But you have to learn from your mistakes.</p><p>"It has been a long journey but I am back on track again now. I am involved with the England squad as well, which is great."</p><p>Bothroyd might use his own experiences to offer fellow forward Andy Carroll some timely advice. The Newcastle forward has been tipped to make his debut this week, although he reported for duty with a groin injury, on which the Football Association have offered no update.</p><p>Carroll has been involved in plenty of incidents himself, but Bothroyd does not feel the 21-year-old's past should be used to condemn him.</p><p>"Footballers are role models in certain respects," said Bothroyd. "The media tend to focus on players' private lives. But Andy Carroll is a young guy. People make mistakes. You have to learn from them."</p><p>Bothroyd has spent the last three seasons at Cardiff and has 15 goals for the Championship club this season, including two at S****horpe on Saturday. "Dave Jones [the manager] has been great for me," he said. "I always knew I had the ability but I needed to work harder off the ball and tackle back more. The last three years have helped me enormously."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/england">England</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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