WEST HAM: Cole targets England starting place (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WEST HAM: Cole targets England starting place

10:57am Friday 5th March 2010 in

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WEST HAM striker Carlton Cole is keen to emulate team-mates Robert Green and Matthew Upson by earning his first start for England.

Cole came on for the final six minutes of England’s 3-1 friendly victory over Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday, while Green and Upson both started the game.

However, the striker, who has scored nine league goals in an injury-interrupted season, has yet to start for his country and is keen to do so, with the announcement of Fabio Capello’s 23-man squad for the South Africa 2010 World Cup looming large.

“I’m happy that I got a little look-in,” Cole told West Ham’s website. “I was hoping to get in on a bit earlier, but I got on and showed that I’ve come back well. I’m pleased the manager has seen what I’m doing at West Ham and abviously enjoys it, so I got the chance to come on and make an impact. It was only six minutes, but it’s a cap at the end of the day.

“Obviously, I’m training and playing with high-quality players and it makes my confidence higher to know that I can blend in with them. It’s good for me and it’s good for West Ham. I’ll be taking it back to West Ham and trying to up training as well and take it to a higher level.

“We’ve already got Robert Green and Matty Upson starting for England and I would like to emulate them.”