Phil Jagielka has admitted that he has found it tough to deal with the speculation suggesting that John Terry could return to the England setup.

Despite being a regular in central defence alongside Gary Cahill during World Cup qualifying, Jagielka's place was questioned when there were calls throughout the season for Terry to come out of retirement to be selected by England manager Roy Hodgson.

"I can't say I particularly like hearing it but I understand why it comes up," the Everton defender told reporters. "Gary and JT play together at Chelsea, they play in the Champions League and were contenders to win the Premier League.

"I've always said that partnerships are important. If you have the choice of two players who work better together, or two who are thought of as better defenders, you're better off sticking with the two who know each other's game.

"I can understand why people are saying it. I can't control what people say."

Jagielka is yet to taste defeat in 11 competitive matches with England.