The hooker was today included in Martin Johnson's 32-strong squad for next season, while Saints new boy Ben Foden was named in the Saxons elite squad.

Hartley went on the short tour of New Zealand without playing in either of the two Test defeats, while Foden came off the bench in the Barclays Churchill Cup final against Scotland A in America.

Mallinder said: "Dylan worked hard on all aspects of his game last season while Ben is a talented footballer.

"They deserve their recognition but selection in a squad is one thing, making a match-day 22 is another, and both Dylan and Ben will have to work hard to earn that.

"This applies as much at club level with Saints as at international level."

The call-ups mean that England have a big say in how the pair will be used by Saints next season on their return to the Guinness Premiership.

Hartley is one of the four uncapped players in the senior squad named by Johnson, who is keen to take England in a new direction.

Mike Tindall and Ben Kay have been dropped, while former New Zealand Maori Riki Flutey has been included.

ENGLAND SENIOR ELITE PLAYER SQUAD
Forwards: S Borthwick (Saracens), G Chuter (Leicester), J Crane (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), N Kennedy (London Irish), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), L Narraway (Gloucester), T Palmer (Wasps), T Payne (Wasps), T Rees (London Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale), M Stevens (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps).

Backs: O Barkley (Gloucester), D Care (Harlequins), H Ellis (Leicester), T Flood (Leicester), R Flutey (Wasps), S Geraghty (London Irish), D Hipkiss (Leicester), J Lewsey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), P Richards (London Irish), P Sackey (Wasps), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), M Tait (Sale), T Varndell (Leicester), J Wilkinson (Newcastle).

SAXONS SQUAD

Backs: N Abendanon (Bath), A Allen (Gloucester), M Banahan (Bath), M Brown (Harlequins), D Cipriani (Wasps), B Foden (Northampton), A Goode (Leicester), P Hodgson (London Irish), R Lamb (Gloucester), U Monye (Harlequins), T Ojo (London Irish), D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tindall (Gloucester), D Waldouck (Wasps), R Wigglesworth (Sale).