Slaven Bilic has backed Andy Carroll to earn a recall to the England squad, even though injury denied him the chance to impress Gareth Southgate on Saturday.
The Three Lions manager had attended West Ham United's 2-2 Premier League draw with West Bromwich Albion to judge the striker's form, but Carroll did not appear because of a groin injury.
The Hammers' exit from the FA Cup means that they do not play again until February 25 against Watford, denying Carroll another potential opportunity to push for his first England appearance since 2012.
"He was disappointed [to miss out in front of Southgate] but he is a mature man," Bilic told Sky Sports News. "He knows it's not that he has had a great few games and now he needs Southgate to be here.
"He is a good player and he is going to show him in March, April, whenever, that he is a good player. He is not doing anything that he did not do last year. It is only that he is doing it more regularly because he is playing and available, apart from this game, for the majority of the games. He has enough time and Gareth also has enough time to come again and watch him.
"I want him to get picked for England. It's a great thing for him. It would be a great thing for him and a great thing for the club. The positiveness and the confidence that every player gets when he gets a call-up for the national team is much more than the couple of days that he loses, or that he would use to rest. On the scale, the positives are much bigger."
Bilic's stance over Carroll's international selection is at odds with Hammers co-owner David Sullivan, who believes that the 28-year-old should be resting between club games and not over-exerting himself.
Giuseppe Labellarte
