Carlton Cole to Spearhead England Challenge?

Where did that display come from?

West Ham striker Carlton Cole might not have grabbed the headlines on Thursday morning, but the mobile frontman put in a performance against Holland that has made people sit up and take note.

I cannot have been the only one that thought Cole’s inclusion in the England squad was misguided, but I bow to Fabio Capello’s greater knowledge.

Cole arrived as a second-half sub in Amsterdam and played his part as England, through two Jermain Defoe goals, earned a deserved 2-2 draw.

The 25-year-old’s all round contribution was first class.

His hold up play was good, his control excellent and he almost capped his performance with a goal that hardly anyone except Capello and co knew he was capable of.

Cole crashed a volley inches wide of the post after a terrific piece of control and trickery, which would have been more at home from Wayne Rooney.

West Ham coach Gianfranco Zola has been bleating on all summer about Cole’s form and his fellow Italian Capello has been listening.

"I will choose the players who are in the best form at that time," said Capello.

"I saw Carlton Cole for West Ham against Napoli and I chose him because I could see he was in fantastic form.

"I spoke with one of the other coaches about Defoe who said he was doing really well. He has scored goals in the friendly matches he has played, so I chose him for that reason."

Cole is chasing one of probably four striking berths for next summer’s World Cup finals and with Rooney and Defoe heavily tipped for two of them, the battle for the remaining two spots will be intense.

Michael Owen looks up against it, especially when you consider that it’s likely to be either Defoe or Owen and not them both, while it's good odds Cole could have put himself ahead of Capello’s favourite Emile Heskey and the beanpole from Spurs, Peter Crouch.