TEIFI rugby star Josh Turnbull says it will be a "massive honour" to represent Wales again in the summer Tests against Canada and Argentina.

The Newcastle Emlyn man has been in remarkable form for Cardiff Blues this season, winning multiple Player of the Match awards and being named in the Guinness PRO14 Dream Team.

His international recall has been a long time coming, having won the last of his 10 caps in Argentina in 2018, and been an unused squad member of Wales 2019 Grand Slam winning squad.

The 33 year-old utility forward admits the call-up has been the icing after a very memorable personal campaign, and described representing his country again as "the icing on the cake".

Turbull said: "You’re representing your family, your friends and your country.

“There’s three and a half million people in Wales, and you’re representing all of them. That’s a massive honour.

“I remember when I came through and when I won my first cap, my P.E teacher Wyn Thomas wrote me a letter saying that and it’s stuck with me ever since.

“Anyone who gets the opportunity to wear the Welsh jersey will say the same.”

He added: “The last time I played was in 2018 against Argentina, but I genuinely feel like I’ve had my first call-up again,” explained the former Scarlets back rower,

“I’ve had that feeling a couple of times before, having been involved in a number of campaigns.

“But people have been telling me that I’ve made more comebacks than Lazarus!

“It’s that never give up attitude and trying to keep chipping away at it, and eventually that reward will come.

“I’m chuffed to bits, and this is the icing on top of the cake for the season if I’m honest."

Wales face Canada on 3 July with Tests against Argentina on 10 and 17 July.

And with Taulupe Faletau and Justin Tipuric away with the Lions - and Dan Lydiate sidelined with a serious knee injury - Turnbull has a chance to star again on the international stage.

“I probably didn’t expect it, I’d had a conversation with (Blues head coach) Dai Young, and asked him to find out if that ship had sailed," said Turnbull.

“They said it hadn’t, but they’d use this tour to look at developing players, and I took that as them picking a load of youngsters.

“I didn’t really put myself in the frame and I hadn’t thought much about it.

“On Monday, I was on a Level Four coaching course and the e-mail came through.

"All of a sudden my phone started going berserk, and I had to chuck my phone and watch in the bag because I needed to concentrate on this course I was on.

“It was a whirlwind couple of hours. It’s massive when you get that opportunity to come into an international environment."

Coach Dai Young said Turnbull's selection was well-deserved, after being the only Welsh player named in the PRO14 team of the season.

He was the top tackler in the entire regular PRO14 season with 215, while he has also been the Blues' main carrying threat.

“His consistency and his physicality both sides of the ball in every game he has played has been outstanding,” said Young.

“Week in, week out, he is probably in your top two or three players. He wouldn’t have looked out of place in that (Six Nations) Welsh set-up.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him. He never misses a training session, he’s very diligent with his extras and his work-ons and a good leader as well.

"We are very lucky to have someone of his ability on board.”