Anton Ferdinand claims England coach Fabio Capello 'can't ignore' Sunderland striker Darren Bent's 'incredible' scoring record.
The Black Cats defender has spoken out about his team-mate after watching him fire Steve Bruce's side a step closer to Premier League safety with a hat-trick in Tuesday's 4-0 win against Bolton at the Stadium of Light.
It took Bent's tally to 18 league goals for the campaign and ended a 14-game winless run for the Wearsiders, leaving Ferdinand calling for Capello to give him a chance ahead of this summer's World Cup finals.
"It showed what a great striker he is, not only in terms of his goals, but also in his work off the ball and his work to bring other people into the team," Ferdinand said.
"Darren and Kenwyne Jones were the heartbeat of our team. The way they played got all the rest of us up for the game.
"Kenwyne was unplayable at times and, when he is like that, it helps Darren and brings other people into the game and creates other chances.
"Darren is right up there with any other striker in the Premier League. His record shows that. It's incredible.
"He's up there with the best but it's not just about the goals, it his all-round game. He's coming together as a pair with Kenwyne, which is nice to see. "
"Everyone who is English has a chance of getting into that World Cup squad. All they have to do is keep playing well for their club.
"If they do that, you can't ignore people who are doing well."