Bolton boss Owen Coyle feels Gary Cahill is as good as any of England's central defenders that went to the World Cup and is confident the 24-year-old will soon force his way in to the national squad.
Despite showing impressive form for Wanderers towards the end of the 2009-10 season after recovering from a blood clot in his arm, Cahill was not included in Fabio Capello's provisional 30-man squad for South Africa.
Following England's poor showing at the tournament, there is now likely to be a shake-up of playing personnel and Coyle believes Cahill will be amongst those staking a claim.
"My disappointment was that when the provisional squad was named, he wasn't in that 30, because I believe if he was, Mr Capello and his assistants would have seen him training and realised that this boy can play," Coyle said.
"He has got pace, he has got a goal-threat - he has got everything, but obviously he never got that opportunity.
"I rang him straight away to make sure he was alright and he was disappointed, but he said 'well, I just have to make sure that next year I go and push myself to get into the squad'. I thought that was a terrific answer.
"Mentally he is there, as well as physically and ability-wise. There is no doubt for me that he will really push himself into that England squad."
