Stoke City boss Tony Pulis is backing in-form winger Matthew Etherington to force himself into contention for Fabio Capello’s England squad.
And the City chief reckons the 28-year-old can still mount a late challenge to be on the plane to the World Cup in South Africa next summer.
Etherington was on the verges of a call-up at his previous club West Ham and Pulis wants him to be given another chance.
“I don’t think it is too late for Matty and England, he has got to be looked at,” said Pulis. “He has been outstanding and on a different level to anything I have seen since he joined us in January.
“It is not for me to tell Capello what to do or what not to do. The only thing I will say is that Etherington has been excellent.”
Meanwhile, Stoke striker David Kitson says he has no plans to move to Middlesbrough on a permanent basis even if his loan switch to the Riverside is a success.
The 29-year-old, who arrived at City for £5.5 million from Reading, has joined the Championship outfit until January but he says reports that a permanent deal is in the pipleline are off the mark.
“It is an opportunity to play half a dozen games to get my match fitness back up and then go back to Stoke and try and force my way in,” he said.
“Am I flexible at staying at Boro? No not really. It’s six weeks and I’ll try my very best to leave them in good situation, but I signed my contract at Stoke and my aim is to get back into that firs -team.
“There are reasons why a permanent deal would be very, very difficult. It would affect more people than me and that’s not fair. My family’s carved its own life away from football.”
