- Michail Antonio hoping his Hammers form will earn him an England recall
- No30 was named in Sam Allardyce's only squad in September 2016 and Gareth Southgate's first the following month
- West Ham United's leading scorer wants to feature when the Three Lions tackle Germany and Lithuania in March
Michail Antonio is determined to maintain his impressive form in the West Ham United attack and win back his place in the England squad.
Antonio has been one of the star performers for the east London Club this season and is the Hammers' top scorer with eight goals.
The 26-year-old showed his versatility once again when he led the West Ham attack on Saturday after Andy Carroll was ruled out with a groin injury and was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet.
Antonio received his first call-up to the England squad for the World Cup Qualifier against Slovakia back in September, but was an unused substitute.
Despite his lack of action, Antonio loved being part of the set-up and with new England manager Gareth Southgate in attendance at London Stadium during the 2-2 draw with West Brom on Saturday, he hopes his impressive performance would have caught his eye once again.
“I am going to keep playing my game and if I get called up it will be great. I am not going to let it affect me and if the manager feels I have done enough he will name me in the squad," said Antonio ahead of England's March dates with Germany and Lithuania.
“I have been part of the set-up before but I didn't get to play. I just need to keep doing what I have at West Ham and hopefully I will get my opportunity.
“I played in two different positions against West Brom and I have the versatility.”
I am going to keep playing my game and if I get called up it will be great.
Michail Antonio
Antonio is hoping to renew his successful partnership with Andy Carroll in the next Premier League game against Watford and says he is enjoying the chance to play in a more attacking role after filling in at right-back earlier this term.
Carroll has also been linked with a call-up to the England squad and Antonio has no doubts the No9 is good enough to play for his country once again.
He added: “We have a good understanding playing together and things are going smoothly. He is a quality player and I definitely feel he should get a call-up.
“We missed Andy [on Saturday]. West Brom are a big team and it would have been good to have his physicality on the pitch, but we have to make sure he is ready for the next game. If Andy keeps playing the way he is, he deserves a place in the England squad.”
Antonio was frustrated that the Hammers could not come away with all three points after they looked to have won the game late on through Manuel Lanzini's impressive strike, as Gareth McAuley bundled in a late equaliser.
The Hammers forward felt a number of key decisions went against his side and also felt the outcome would have been different if he had levelled Nacer Chadli's opener before half-time.
“We had to keep battling and had a lot of opportunities but it wasn't meant to be our day," he lamented. “I feel there were a couple of opportunities where the decision could have gone our way, but that is part and parcel of football.
“I had a couple of opportunities and looked back at the one when I was two yards out and I missed the ball, but we just have to move on and prepare for the next game at Watford and keep going.”