Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini does not expect Adam Johnson to get the call from England boss Fabiop Capello for this summer's World Cup, though he does feel international honours are only a matter of time for the former Middlesbrough ace.
The 22-year-old scored a sumptuous late equaliser as Champins League chasing City salvaged a 1-1 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday. Mancini hailed the player that he signed from Boro in January after the draw but warned that he will likely have to wait before joining old pal Stewart Downing as an England player.
"Adam is a good player, but is a young player," said the Italian.
"I think that in the future, he will be a good player for the national team, but now I don't know.
"Maybe, but I don't know, I don't decide. I think the England national team has a good manager and he knows very well Adam Johnson and he will decide.
"He scored a fantastic goal. I am happy for him and for us, but before that, we had five or six chances easily to score a goal. That's football.
"The Sunderland goalkeeper was fantastic today. He saved everything."