Derby County forward Tom Ince has revealed that he was shocked by the negative reaction he received when he ruled himself out of England contention for this summer's Under-21s European Championship.

The 23-year-old had featured heavily in qualification for the tournament in the Czech Republic but told head coach Gareth Southgate in March that he did not want to be considered for the squad for the final tournament.

Ince's decision was met with criticism, but the former Hull City winger admitted that he was surprised by the backlash, revealing that his desire to return to regular club football was behind the call.

"The reaction shocked me, to be honest," he told Sky Sports News. "After speaking to various football people, they understood my situation and my decision. Bear in mind that I had been playing for the Under-21s for the past three years, had 20-25 caps, and played in the European Championship under Stuart Pearce.

"I was 23, and the oldest one there by a good 18 months. I felt at the time that I had not really played a lot of club football, and I had been getting banded from pillar to post. I needed a summer off to settle down and plan my next move.

"The next move was a vital one. I am 23 now, and it is time to be kicking on. I went to Croatia in the play-offs to qualify and I was on the bench. I made the decision and it was time to move on. Like everything in life, in any job, you get that feeling the time is right to move on."

Ince scored 11 goals in 18 Championship matches in a loan spell at Derby in the second half of last season, and since making his move from Hull permanent in the summer he has scored once in eight appearances.