Shaun Wane: New England head coach 'immensely proud' at appointment
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Shaun Wane will take charge for the home series against Australia in November, before the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England
New England head coach Shaun Wane has described himself as "the happiest man ever".
The 55-year-old former Wigan boss was appointed as Wayne Bennett's successor on a two-year deal on Monday.
"It means everything. There's not many more patriotic people in this country than me," he told BBC 5 Live's rugby league Podcast.
"How proud I am is immense but the most satisfying thing to me is how proud my family are."
He added: "I didn't think this would ever happen a few years ago… I thought I was miles away from this. People have seen my work ethic, my passion with the players and my smarts about how to get wins and it's got me this job. I feel like I have earned this.
"Behind closed doors I've been saying to my missus that I am the happiest man ever. The chance to get this job is fantastic."
Wane left Wigan at the end of the 2018 season after winning his third Grand Final in seven years in charge of his hometown club.
He has spent the past 12 months working with Scottish Rugby in a part-time capacity as a high performance coach and said he had had the opportunity to make the role full-time.
Wane says he intends to be "an open book" with the 12 Super League clubs as he seeks to lead the country to success in next year's Ashes series with Australia and the 2021 World Cup.
"I would never ask a Super League coach to leave a player out for my purposes, just as I would never expect a national coach to speak to me that way. What I will be is very open with my information and my opinions on a player," he said.
"They want a winning team in Super League and I want a winning international team, we're all on the same page."
Shaun Wane's last game in club management was Wigan's win over Warrington in the 2018 Grand Final
Wane's predecessor Bennett, who is also coach of NRL side Sydney Rabbitohs, did not have his contract extended after leading Great Britain to a 4-0 series defeat on their tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea at the end of last year.
Britain lost all four games and Wane said he found the games "frustrating".
"I wanted Great Britain to do well. I'd have played a slightly different way but I'm not privy to what the gameplan was," he added.
"Wayne Bennett is a smart man and he's been around a long time and it's an honour for me to lead on after him."
'Wane will have very different approach to Bennett' - analysis
Dave Woods, BBC Sport's rugby league correspondent
The most visible difference between Wane and Bennett will be in their approach to the public role that being England Rugby League head coach demands.
Bennett hated the media requests that go with the role. Which, when coaching in Australia, where media scrutiny is constant and inescapable, is understandable.
But rugby league in this country yearns for a bigger profile than it usually receives. Wane understands that, and in a two-year period when publicity for the sport can be milked like never before, with an Ashes series and a World Cup to be staged, he's the right man to reflect the passion of the job and the sport.