Fulham Football Club News

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• Founded:1879
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Hodgson: Zamora for England

07 Dec 2009 - 07:36:20

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Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has backed Bobby Zamora for a surprise place in England's World Cup squad after the striker scored the winner in Sunday's 1-0 success over Sunderland.

Zamora's seventh-minute goal separated the sides at Craven Cottage, with only the crossbar preventing the former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United striker from adding to his haul.

The 28-year-old frontman has now scored six goals this season and Hodgson has suggested that Zamora would offer England more than current first-choice striker Emile Heskey of Aston Villa.

"Heskey is a very powerful player, a very willing player and a hard working player. Bobby is more technical," he explained.

"It was quite interesting being on a panel with Terry Venables the other day, discussing World Cup squads. He's got experience of that from Euro 96 and me from the World Cup.

"You could also make a case for one or two more unusual selections, players who maybe have something a little bit extra. He was talking about Ledley King.

"If you perpetuated that argument, you might come up with an argument for someone like a Bobby Zamora, the type of player who we don't have too many like in the English Premiership."

Meanwhile, Hodgson has told Zamora to ignore his critics after his angry reaction to scoring against the Black Cats.

"Maybe he reads too many of these blogs that people write in to," mused Hodgson.

"Our fans in the Hammersmith end actually constantly chant his name. But these people who write into the club's blogs, they're the real experts and they want something that he's not been able to give them - 30 goals a year. But he has been a key player for us."