Ex-Sunderland forward Jermain Defoe believes his former teammate and Newcastle United forward Callum Wilson should be included in England's squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
Wilson has scored four goals in eight league games this term - averaging a goal every 162 minutes for the Magpies. Although form has rarely eluded Wilson at St James' Park, his fitness has definitely plagued him.
Defoe, who was teammates with Wilson at AFC Bournemouth under Eddie Howe, witnessed how Wilson recovered from a cruciate ligament rupture at Dean Court. He has described Wilson as 'underrated' and believes he should be in Gareth Southgate's plans as long as he is fit.
"I believe if he's fit, then he should go to the World Cup," Defoe told Premier League Productions. "He is the main man, the goal scorer. He is the focal point and I would say he is like an old number nine.
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"The ball comes up to him. It sticks, he brings people into play. He is willing to run in behind relentlessly throughout the game. When he gets chances in front of goal, he is cool and he has that belief that when he plays again, he always believes that he can score.
"100% [he's underrated]. He really impressed me, when I went to Bournemouth and even in training, I thought, he is a top centre-forward. It doesn't surprise me because he is someone that works really hard. He had two really bad injuries and has worked really hard to get back."
Wilson scored on his international debut in a 3-0 win over the United States in an international friendly in November 2018. He was a constant member of the squad in 2019 but only amassed four caps in total for the Three Lions.
The 30-year-old last featured for England as a second half substitute in a 6-0 victory over Bulgaria in October 2019.
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