Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand insists striker Darren Bent is
doing everything he can to force his way into England's World Cup
squad.
The Black Cats hitman took his Premier League tally for the
season to 18 with a hat-trick in Tuesday night's 4-0 romp against
Bolton.
Bent's return is more impressive given the Black Cats' dismal
recent form, with their success against the Trotters snapping a
14-game winless run.
Fabio Capello has offered the Wearside favourite little
encouragement with infrequent inclusions in his squad ahead of this
summer's showpiece tournament in South Africa.
But Ferdinand feels that with only Wayne Rooney and Didier
Drogba ahead of him in the scoring charts, Bent can do little more
to impress.
He said: "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.
"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."
