Ugo Monye could line up for England against the Pacific Islands © Getty Images

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News: Monye secures England call-up

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Players/Officials: Ugo Monye | Dean Richards

Teams: England | Harlequins

Harlequins boss Dean Richards tonight called for winger Ugo Monye to go straight into the England team for the autumn international series.

Monye, 25, will link up with the senior England squad at Pennyhill Park tomorrow night after being called up by Martin Johnson as a replacement for the injured James Simpson-Daniel. The promotion has been long awaited - Monye burst onto the scene in 2002 - and comes in recognition of a blistering start to the new season.

Monye has scored five tries in seven Premiership and Heineken Cup games, and showed his versatility in last weekend's victory over Ulster by switching to outside centre. But with Simpson-Daniel and Tom Varndell no longer in the England set-up, Monye and Wasps' Paul Sackey are the only recognised wingers left in the 32-man squad.

England open their autumn campaign against the Pacific Islands on November 8 and Richards said: ``I would like him to start. I'd like to think he would be given a chance. He has been playing well and he has scored some tries you wouldn't expect other people to score. He has found more consistency and we felt he deserved his opportunity. He has got that chance and it is up to him to take it.''

Monye, a former sprint champion, has been a regular fixture in the Quins team since the 2003-04 season and despite impressive performance at England Sevens and England Saxons level, his Test aspirations were often undermined by injuries.

But Richards was always excited by Monye's potential and he knew that a run of games would bring the best out of him. "When Ugo first came onto the scene he was 18 and tipped to be playing for England within two years. It was a surprise to me when I came here in 2005 that he wasn't,'' said Richards. "Sometimes you can get drawn into a position where you don't even push for it because it hasn't happened. Now he has become far more ambitious and the way we play suits him. He has come into his own and that is why England are looking at him.''

Richards has been impressed by the way Johnson, a former Leicester club-mate, and the England management team have set about building close bonds with the Premiership clubs since taking charge. England's new medical team, headed up by Dr Mike Bundy, work on a weekly, if not daily basis with the clubs to ensure the players get the best possible attention.

Richards has found the same applies from a rugby perspective and he believes that open dialogue can only be good for club and country. He said, "There is more dialogue now than there has been in the last few years. I have spoken to a few of the coaches over the last seven days. I have spoken to Jonno twice and John Wells. I think it is vitally important they keep in touch with the coaches and that dialogue is there for an understanding of how players are and what their form is like.

"The directors of rugby and the coaches understand the players best because they have them day in and day out. Providing England trust the honesty of the coaches and directors of rugby they will glean a huge amount of information from them. We also get feedback as well which is important and it is working well both ways.''

England face the Pacific Islands at Twickenham on November 8 before facing Australia, South Africa and New Zealand on successive weekends.