Sam Allardyce believes that England manager Roy Hodgson would be making a major mistake by leaving Andy Carroll out of his World Cup squad this summer.
West Ham's record signing scored one and provided an assist for the second of United's two goals at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening as Allardyce's team edged closer to Premier League safety with a second win in five days.And a far-happier Big Sam told Sky Sports that the 25-year-old is ready to receive the call having impressed since returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
"Andy gives you an alternative," insisted Allardyce. "As a player he's unique in many ways in the Premier League today. There aren't too many who can receive or head a ball as good as he does - particularly quality balls into the box.
"You saw the headed goal from the corner; nobody was going to stop him and the clean header into the back of the net set us up for victory.
"There's also a lot more about him on the deck than people give him credit for. He can move the ball and he's quicker than he looks."
The Sunderland goal was Carroll's second in four matches, following his first of the season in the 3-1 defeat at Stoke last month. Allardyce believes that if he can continue that form for the rest of the campaign, a World Cup spot could be on the cards.
"He's been back with us for just a few games and he's already scored two," he said. "Last year he scored eight in the last 12 matches and Roy [Hodgson] picked him in the summer.
"If he continues to play every week for us now as he did last season and score the goals, hopefully that'll happen to him again with this one being a World Cup [year].
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