Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has dropped a big hint that England coach Fabio Capello is monitoring the progress of winger Matthew Etherington.

Pulis himself believes Stoke's born-again winger is a genuine shout for England's World Cup squad next summer.

Asked if England coach Capello had contacted him about 28-year-old Etherington, a coy Pulis told The Sentinel: "That's for me to know and not to say."

Etherington, who has three England under-21s caps, would have to jump a queue of players headed by the likes of Joe Cole, Ashley Young and a fit-again Stewart Downing to win a place, but Pulis argued: "Matty is as good a left-sided player as there is in the country at the moment.

"He's played ever so well over the last month and it doesn't surprise me that people have rung me up to see if he should be involved in the squad.

"The big thing is the top coaches want people to work right through the team and Matty does that.

"If you ask (left-back) Danny Collins, he will tell you how hard Matty works.

"Ethers has been different class recently, but I still think there's more to come. He's got a goal threat and so much quality."

Pulis believes Ryan Shawcross is another in with a late shout of muscling into Capello's plans for the World Cup finals.

"Matty and Ryan have an outside chance," he said. "We are a small club, but I don't think Capello goes on reputations.

"Ryan is a future England player, as I've said before. There's no doubt in my mind that Ryan will play for England. He listens, wants to work and wants to learn."