Somerset all-rounder Pete Trego has completed a remarkable career comeback by being picked for England Lions less than five years after he was working on a building site.

Weston-super-Mare-born Trego, Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter and Gloucestershire fast bowler Steve Kirby will fly with the England second team to the United Arab Emirates next month for a series of one-day games.

Trego’s call is reward for some superb form since he returned to Somerset for a second spell in 2006. The big-hitting batsman and swing bowler played for England Under-19s in a three-year stint at Taunton from 2000-2002.

He then left for brief spells with four counties (Kent, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Middlesex) and had to hold down four jobs at once before Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose gave him a second chance four years ago.

Trego, 28, told thisissomerset's sister title Western Daily Press: “During the time spent out of the game I never at any stage thought I couldn’t get to this stage.

“There are people along the way who supported me and who said I couldn’t do it and I want to thank everyone who has helped me.

“Justin Langer (former captain) and Andy Hurry (head coach) have helped me massively and Brian Rose has been fantastically supportive and by making me feel a big part of Somerset’s future and going back Julian Wyatt and Pete Robinson (former coaches) have always been behind me 100 per cent.

“Then Jason Pooley and John Emburey at Middlesex helped me get back into the first-class game. My wife, Clare, and my mum and dad and in-laws have also been massively supportive.

“At one time I was doing four jobs just to make ends meet and not one of them was cricket. That was a bleak time. I was playing (semi-) football, building, working in a nursing home and two weeks before I signed for Middlesex I started working as a postman.

“My brother is doing that now and it was hell, so hats off to every postman in the country because I couldn’t face it.”

Rose said: “He has come back from oblivion, really. He deserves great credit for the way he has performed in this second spell and I am sure he will give this chance his best shot.”

South Africa-born Kieswetter is being given special dispensation to play for his adopted country’s A side before he formally completes his four-year qualification process, as Kevin Pietersen did in 2004.

The team head out to the Middle East on February 7 for a total of eight games in 50 and 20-over formats.

England Lions have a total of eight games in 50-overs and 20-overs formats – six are against Pakistan A, one against United Arab Emirates and one against the senior England XI.