West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is confident that striker Andy Carroll will be able to make a positive impression on Gareth Southgate’s mind before the start of the World Cup qualifiers in March.

Carroll has been in an international wilderness since making his international debut in 2010. Even though he is one of the best options at holding up the ball available for the England national team, several managers have overlooked him due to poor form of several injuries. Carroll last made more than 45 appearances in a single season back in the 2011-12 campaign.

His career has been blighted by a lot of injuries, but there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel with the striker being one of the regulars in the West Ham team this season. Carroll is already on his way to beating his nine goal tally from last season. He has six goals in 16 appearances this season. This kind of form is sure to make an impression on the manager for the England national team – Gareth Southgate, who was appointed into the role only the first week of December.

Southgate did not prefer calling up Carroll when he was in charge of the team on an interim basis, but there is a high probability of a call up for the national team now.

"He was disappointed (to miss out in front of Southgate) but he is a mature man. He knows it's not that he has had a great few games and now he needs Gareth 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,” said Bilic.