WOLVES star Stefan Ratchford says he is thankful to everyone at The Wire for helping him towards his “memorable” England debut.

The 28-year-old won his first cap from the bench in Saturday’s Test match against France and played his part in a 40-6 victory in Avignon.

Known for his versatility, Ratchford appeared at full-back and in the centres for Wayne Bennett’s side as they warmed up for the Ladbrokes Four Nations with a comfortable victory.

The former Salford man, whose only previous appearance for England was in a non-cap game against The Exiles in 2012, says pulling on the white jersey will go down as one of his proudest moments.

“It’s been a dream since I was a kid to play for England and I’m made up to have finally done it,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in some great games like Grand Finals and Challenge Cup Finals, but representing your country is something you always strive for.

“When I’m finished playing, it’s definitely something I’ll look back on as one of my biggest achievements in the game. It was memorable.

“Credit has to go to everyone at Warrington though, they’ve got me to this point and I’ll always be thankful.”

Ratchford was one of five players to be given their debut by new coach Wayne Bennett alongside Castleford’s Luke Gale, Hull FC’s Scott Taylor and St Helens duo Jonny Lomax and Mark Percival.

Just two weeks before his international bow, Ratchford played in Wolves’ agonising Grand Final defeat to old rivals Wigan and he says the game in France has helped him get the Old Trafford heartbreak out of his system.

He also believes playing in one position consistently has helped him break onto the England scene.

“It’s always disappointing to lose big games and to lose both finals this season was obviously a massive blow,” he said.

“You want to get those things out of your system as quickly as you can so the France game was good in that respect.

“I feel like I’ve had a good year. I had a consistent run of games at full-back so I think that’s helped my form a lot.

“Everyone knows I can play in plenty of positions but getting a long run in one place helps you focus on being the best you can be in that particular spot.”

Back on home soil, attention now turns to tougher tests for England as they kick off their Four Nations campaign against New Zealand in Huddersfield on Saturday, kick off 2.30pm.

Games against Scotland on November 5 and world champions Australia on November 13 follow before a potential final at Anfield on November 20.

Ratchford says he hopes his performance in Avignon will secure him a place in the squad to face the Kiwis, who were beaten by England in a Test series last year.

He also says he is looking forward to experiencing a sold-out John Smith’s Stadium.

“Confidence is high after the France game. We know if we play to our strengths we can get a good result and set ourselves up for the rest of the tournament,” he said.

“Whenever you play Huddersfield, the crowd is always around 6,000 so you never get the full feel of the stadium. It will be great to see the place sold out.”