Tweet
Kevin Davies can forget Jamaica.........
Kevin Davies can forget Jamaica - that is unless he is planning a holiday in the Caribbean's "Land Of Wood and Water".
Bolton's 33-year-old striker, after finally giving up hope of an England career following years of long and honest toil in the Premier League, jokingly suggested recently that he might focus his international aspirations on Jamaica via his half-brother.
Davies has flirted with England's squad during his time at The Reebok, and just when he thought his chance had gone Fabio Capello has turned that flirtation into a full-on embrace with his most eye-catching selection for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley.
It is just reward for a career spent at the sharp end of English's football's combat zone, when too often Davies' status as the symbol of Bolton's direct style under Sam Allardyce disguised much of his natural ability from the public eye.
Of course Capello is indulging in blatant short-termism with his choice of Davies, rightly preferring him to Newcastle United's Andy Carroll to fill the gap left vacant by the absence of Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora and Gabriel Agbonlahor through injury and Emile Heskey's refusal to come out of international retirement.
While all the post-World Cup debacle talk of youth and building for the future is admirable, Capello needs players who can fulfil a purpose now and he clearly believes the evergreen Davies fits the bill.
Even though his selection may raise eyebrows among those who have trained their sights on what they regard as the more robust elements of Davies' approach - to which many a bruised defender can painfully testify - it is a perfectly practical choice by Capello.
Snobbery may cause some to be sniffy about his place in the squad, but if Heskey was celebrated by a succession of England coaches for his ability to aid the cause by holding the ball up, keeping defenders occupied by being a bit of a nuisance and chipping in with the occasional (make that very, very occasional) goal, then Davies is surely right up Capello's street.
Bolton's 33-year-old striker, after finally giving up hope of an England career following years of long and honest toil in the Premier League, jokingly suggested recently that he might focus his international aspirations on Jamaica via his half-brother.
Davies has flirted with England's squad during his time at The Reebok, and just when he thought his chance had gone Fabio Capello has turned that flirtation into a full-on embrace with his most eye-catching selection for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley.
It is just reward for a career spent at the sharp end of English's football's combat zone, when too often Davies' status as the symbol of Bolton's direct style under Sam Allardyce disguised much of his natural ability from the public eye.
Of course Capello is indulging in blatant short-termism with his choice of Davies, rightly preferring him to Newcastle United's Andy Carroll to fill the gap left vacant by the absence of Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora and Gabriel Agbonlahor through injury and Emile Heskey's refusal to come out of international retirement.
While all the post-World Cup debacle talk of youth and building for the future is admirable, Capello needs players who can fulfil a purpose now and he clearly believes the evergreen Davies fits the bill.
Even though his selection may raise eyebrows among those who have trained their sights on what they regard as the more robust elements of Davies' approach - to which many a bruised defender can painfully testify - it is a perfectly practical choice by Capello.
Snobbery may cause some to be sniffy about his place in the squad, but if Heskey was celebrated by a succession of England coaches for his ability to aid the cause by holding the ball up, keeping defenders occupied by being a bit of a nuisance and chipping in with the occasional (make that very, very occasional) goal, then Davies is surely right up Capello's street.
Comment