Despite not having played for ten months, Wilkinson has been included in Johnson’s elite 32-man squad for next season. This meant that Danny Cipriani was demoted to the Saxons, which has led to suggestions that the England team manager was selecting purely on reputation.

Johnson made no apologies for picking Wilkinson, who has recovered from a horrendous knee injury and is in pre-season training with Toulon, his new club. Asked how he justified his decision, Johnson said yesterday: “Seventy caps, two World Cup finals and x-amount of points [1,032 in total] – the sort of player you are going to favour slightly! He is a world-class player when he’s fit.

“I think he can be as good as he ever was. Experience is a big part of being a good player and he’s only 30, so potentially he could be at his peak because of his experience and what he’s been through on and off the field over the last five, six, seven years.”

Speaking from the South of France, Wilkinson said that having Johnson’s backing is “priceless” as he seeks to make yet another comeback. “I am enormously proud to be involved with England,” the fly half said. “The support of the management is something you cannot put a value on. It makes it much easier for me.
“I will be aiming not just to get into the [Toulon] team, but aiming to play the very best rugby I am capable of. If that leads to England again, I will do exactly the same. Playing for my country means everything.”

He said that the relationship between him and Johnson had by necessity changed now that the former captain was in charge.

“Johnno holds all the cards,” he said. “When he was a player, he was a mentor and guiding hand for me. Now there is a new respect for him as a manager, which allows a healthy distance.

“I still value him as a good friend, but I have to earn his respect not by playing with him, but now in the way I play for him.”

Wilkinson remains optimistic that the best could still be to come, although he will continue to play as if every game were his last. “There have been several instances when it could be said it looked like it was [his last game],” Wilkinson said. “You have to do everything you can when you can because you do not know if you will get another chance.

“I had six good years [up until the 2003 World Cup] and have had six interrupted years since. I hope that I can have another stretch of [six] years without having to endure enforced layoffs.”

Johnson indicated that Wilkinson would be released early from the week-long training camp at Twickenham next month to allow him to make his debut for Toulon against Stade Français on August 15.

“He needs games,” Johnson said. “The guy, in my experience, has worked as hard as anyone on his fitness and his body. Jonny was in here [Twickenham] last Friday for a fitness assessment and he is in good nick. I spoke to him yesterday and he’s training fully down there [in Toulon] and he’s raring to go.”

Johnson has opted for only two fly halves in his squad, with the injured Toby Flood the understudy to Wilkinson, leaving Cipriani to prove himself with the Saxons with a clutch of other England hopefuls, such as Stephen Myler, of Northampton.

The England team manager said that Cipriani’s demotion had nothing to do with any perceived problems with his attitude. Indeed, Stuart Lancaster, the Saxons head coach, praised the London Wasps fly half for his approach at the Churchill Cup last month.

“Danny is just one of a number of young players who’ve had a taste of it, won a couple of caps and are now battling to get back into a competitive squad,” Johnson said.

“He’s a talented young player. He’s got areas of real strength and areas that he needs to improve, which is the same for most young players. He just has to work on those areas of weakness.