Rickie Lambert's England Call Gives Andy Carroll Plenty to Ponder

If Andy Carroll needs any extra incentive to recover quickly from his heel injury, then Rickie Lambert's promotion to the England squad to face Scotland should provide it.

The Southampton striker is poised to make his international debut at the age of 31 at Wembley on August 14, and Carroll knows it should have been him in the team instead.

England manager Roy Hodgson made it clear on Thursday that Carroll would have been considered for the squad if he had been available and that the West Ham man remains in his plans. But it's fair to say there is only room for one big striker in the England squad, and that means Lambert has a real opportunity to make himself a serious rival to Carroll.

Lambert has pedigree. He was, remember, the top English striker in the Premier League last season, scoring 15 goals—eight more than Carroll managed for the Hammers.

He outscored the likes of Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge, with only Frank Lampard able to match him.

When Hodgson spoke about his new recruit, he highlighted Lambert's ability in the air but also his contribution outside the box—an area that Carroll knows he must improve on this season to become a serious England contender.

So far Carroll's England career has been a mixed bag. There have been some very promising performances—including a stunning headed goal against Sweden at Euro 2012—but his appearances have been limited by injury.

Former England manager Fabio Capello also appeared reluctant to select the former Liverpool and Newcastle man, perhaps too worried by his reputation for ill discipline outside of football. But since joining West Ham, Carroll has finally shrugged off doubts about his off-field behaviour, and Hodgson has shown a lot of faith, regularly selecting him whenever fit.

So this season is absolutely crucial to Carroll's international hopes. If he can stay healthy then surely the opportunity is there for him to play at the World Cup in 2014. Wayne Rooney is crying out for a regular partner or at least for someone who can come on and change a game alongside him.

A pairing of Rooney and Carroll, whether from the start or late on, has real potential. Playing alongside a big man would allow the Manchester United striker to drop deeper, as he prefers, and give England greater options at set plays.

But the same is true of Lambert. The Southampton man may not have the same instant physical presence as Carroll, but he is more flexible and a more natural finisher.

He certainly has a better record in terms of the number of games he plays in a season. He must do something right because Sam Allardyce has been linked so many times with a move for the Saints striker over the past year, such as this report from Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Star.

That definitely won't happen now. Lambert has agreed a new contract at Southampton, but he could still have a big impact on Carroll's England future. Time to get fit quickly, Andy.