Football: Andy Gray column: Why Eriksson should get on the phone to

IF Alan Shearer is even half serious about making an international comeback Sven Goran Eriksson should pick up the phone this morning and talk him.

If England had two or three young strikers who were playing well, scoring goals on a regular basis and had made their mark on the international scene then going back to Shearer might be a mistake.

But let's face it, since Alan walked away from the international set up England have failed to find anyone to fill his boots.

Michael Owen has scored a few goals but his form has been up and down and you could hardly describe Emile Heskey as a great goalscorer.

So when someone like Alan, who has already scored 24 goals so far this season, including five in his last two Champions League games, says he is missing playing for England and feels he could still do a job for his country then you would be foolish to slam the half-open door in his face.

Shearer was always quite clear in his mind that he walked away from England so he could concentrate his efforts on Newcastle. He has gone on record on more than one occasion saying the reason he is playing so well at the moment is linked to the fact that he has not had the added pressure of playing international as well as club football.

It has given him the chance to take a rest and recover from injuries, something he was not able to do properly when he had the added commitment of international duty.

He is now fully fit and his confidence tanks are full to overflowing but there is that Catch 22 situation for Alan. Can he continue to maintain his current form if he returns to the international arena?

I know what he means when he says he is missing being involved with England and, to be honest, I think he is now playing so well that he is more than capable of pulling on the England shirt again and giving his country a much-needed boost for the fast-approaching European Championship qualifiers.

If I was Eriksson I'd pick him immediately and put him up front with Owen for the game against Liechtenstein. It might just be the thing Michael needs to give him a boost. I think he would love having someone with the experience of Alan alongside him. Apart from anything else it would take a bit of pressure off Owen.

International defenders are still frightened of Shearer, even though he has changed the way he plays. He now tends to let the younger players do all the running and he concentrates on operating where it matters - in and around the penalty area.

You only have to look at what was coming out of Milan in midweek, when the Italians were talking about getting Shearer sent off, to see that he still commands huge respect around the world. That means Owen might get a bit more space as defenders concentrate on snuffing out the threat from Alan.

England have not made the best of starts in their attempt to qualify for the finals of Euro 2004 so it is absolutely vital they beat Liechtenstein and see off the very real threat of Turkey. Alan Shearer has scored, and continues to score, at every level and Sven can't afford to turn his nose up at that. If Shearer scored the winner against Turkey, that alone would justify his comeback.

We all saw how good he is when he put away those two goals in the San Siro last week. If he can pose a threat in the Champions League then he can still do a job at international level. I actually think Champions League football is harder than international football because the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter and Man United are probably better than most international sides.

Even if Eriksson decides Alan can only do a job for a year it buys a bit of time to develop youngsters like James Beattie for the future and in the meantime you have got a proven international goalscorer in your side. I really can't see any negatives.

If Shearer's form suddenly dips and next season he is not playing as well as he is now there is no reason why he can't be rested from the England first team but kept on as part of Eriksson's management team to give advice to the youngsters coming through.

Personally, I can see Alan making his comeback and keeping his place in the team up to Euro 2004. Beyond that will depend on his fitness but for now the prospect of Alan Shearer coming out of retirement is one that should be encouraged by Eriksson.

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