Carlton Cole is determined to prove his England potential and become a leading star for the Three Lions
Carlton Cole is determined to prove his England potential and become a leading star for the Three Lions after being handed another chance to impress by national team boss Fabio Capello.
Hammers striker Cole won his first senior cap as a late substitute in last month's friendly with Spain and came close to scoring in the 2-0 defeat.
The 25-year-old has kept his place in Capello's squad for this week's Wembley double header against Slovakia and Ukraine after a string of consistent performances for West Ham.
Now Cole, the club's leading scorer with 11 goals this season, is eager for another opportunity to shine as he bids to become a regular member of the England set-up.
"I learnt a lot," Cole said of his debut outing in Seville last month. "There's a few things that I need to work on and hopefully I'll be a more complete player when I next get the chance.
"I've got high ambitions and new levels of expectation around me now. I just want to fulfil my potential and get to the highest my game [can get]."
Cole was joined in the England squad by Hammers team-mates Robert Green and Matthew Upson.
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