Max Litchfield is ready to avenge his Commonwealth Games past after being announced as part of Team England's swimming squad for Glasgow 2026.

The experienced swimmer made his senior international bow in the Dear Green Place back in 2014 but has not returned to the Team England fold since, struck down by injury and personal struggles.

The 31-year-old from Pontefract is now officially back on the team sheet, 12 years after his first crack at the multi-sport Games and is now a hot medal favourite heading into the men's 400m individual medley.

It's a race he has finished a heartbreaking fourth place in at the past three Olympic Games, but as 2019 European champion, 2024 world silver medallist and British record holder in the event, Litchfield is finally ready to add Commonwealth silverware to his CV.

"It feels really good to be back," he said. "I've had some troubles getting to the past two Commonwealth Games and to be honest, my experience in Glasgow 12 years ago was not the best.  

"Hopefully I can avenge what has happened in the past during my Commonwealth Games. It's going to be full circle going back to Glasgow."

A fresh faced 19-year-old at Glasgow 2014, Litchfield did not qualify for the final in his favoured 400m individual medley, also touching the wall for 12th overall in the men's 1500m freestyle.

It left a sour taste in the mouth for the young swimmer, who was then forced to withdraw from the 2018 squad due to a shoulder injury before a hit at a home Games at Birmingham 2022 was forced out of his hand due to undisclosed personal issues.

He added: "I swam really badly at my first Commonwealth Games. It was my first senior team and a combination of things just led to me not swimming very well there and I was really upset with the outcome in the end. 

"Then I obviously had an injury and some personal stuff in-between which have annoyingly just stopped me every time a Commonwealth Games has come around. 

"I have never had the opportunity to properly show what I can do on the Commonwealth stage so I'm really excited to get into it this summer."

Litchfield's British record of 4:08.85 in the 400m IM is just off the time that Lewis Clareburt of New Zealand posted to win four years ago in Birmingham, and with the likes of Scotland's Duncan Scott and Australia's Will Petric possible threats, the English swimmer will be pushed all the way in Glasgow.

But with the opportunity to rewrite his Commonwealth Games history, and also fire England to another medal in a stacked 4x200m freestyle relay showpiece, Litchfield is more than eager to dive in.

"The 400m IM is a really strong event Commonwealth Games wise," he said. "It's going to be a really close and tight event but that is what we want. We want it to be competitive and strong and it's going to be great racing against those boys.

"If I can get a berth in the men's 4x200m freestyle as well that would be great. I don't really get the chance to race that that much, especially in a final and so it will be great to be part of Team England for that and hopefully we can push for some medals there as well."