BLACKBURN striker Matt Jansen will cast an envious eye over England's clash with Spain tonight as Sven Goran Eriksson prepares to lead the nation into a new dawn at Villa Park.

The 23-year-old hit-man has been touted as an England star of the future after catching the eye of new boss Eriksson with an impressive performance against Bolton last Friday.

But, with a host of top strikers all competing for a place in the Swede's World Cup qualifying plans, the former Crystal Palace frontman admits he can't afford to dream of an England call up until Rovers are back in the Premiership.

"I know Sven came to watch our game on Friday night but he hasn't included any First Division players in his squad," said Jansen.

"So I firmly believe you need to be playing at Premier level to be chosen for the senior squad.

"Hopefully the Premier League is where Blackburn will be next August.

"This club is geared for Premiership football and nothing else will do.

"I'd like to play for England but returning to the Premiership is the necessary first step.

"I saw my name mentioned by a few people about a possible England call and that the new England management are keeping a close eye on my progress.

"But deep down I know it isn't going to happen this term.

"I've played for England Under 21s and I'd love to be capped at senior level in the future. But right now my priority is to help Blackburn get back into the biggest league in the world.

"We showed the way forward by beating Bolton on Friday night so hopefully we'll get there next season."

Jansen is currently enjoying the most prolific season of his career so far after finding the net 15 times during Rovers' surge up the First Division table.

And his partnership with former Crystal Palace team-mate Marcus Bent is fast developing into one of the most feared outside the top-flight, with the pair boasting 16 goals between them in Rovers' last 15 games.

Bent has no doubts about his new partner's star quality and he accepts he has some catching up to do if he wants to fulfil his own international aspirations at some point in the future.

"I'm still learning my trade -- as are Matty and Dunny -- but they're a class above me at the minute," said Bent, who has scored eight times in 14 starts since joining Rovers.

"Dunny's the England Under 21 captain and Matty's got a great left foot , great skill and a great touch.

"So it's just a joy to work with players like them.

"Matt and I are starting to know each other's game now which is all about getting the ball over the top because we've both got pace.

"And the whole team is starting to bond around us as well.

"So, if we can get that going, then anything can happen because it's a good blend.

"Mark Hughes is a fantastic player who holds the ball up and brings people into the game.

"But I think defenders are scared when me and Matty start running at them.

"So it's a good partnership and, hopefully, it can get even better."

While Rovers are in the First Division, an international call-up may be beyond the duo.

But manager Graeme Souness is in doubt the pair have a big part to play in Rovers' future.

"Both Matt and Marcus are still in their early 20s so they're still babies," said Souness.

"But, if they can both avoid injuries, keep wanting to learn, and show the same enthusiasm then they could become a great partnership for many years to come.

"Both are powerful, both have real pace, and both possess a great touch.

"And they're the kind of players defenders hate to play against because they're both natural athletes.

"When we looked at Marcus I went to watch him several times and also asked other people who I've worked with to have a look at him.

"And we all felt he was a player who had the potential to play at the highest level possible."

Meanwhile, Rovers keeper Brad Friedel looks set to play for America in their World Cup qualifier with Mexico tonight.

United States boss Bruce Arena has indicated the former Liverpool shot-stopper will get the nod for the clash in Columbus, Ohio.

Henning Berg also looks set to line-up for Norway against Northern Ireland.

Nathan Blake has also linked up with his international boss Mark Hughes for a Welsh training camp in La Manga.

But Alan Kelly is likely to lose his place in the starting eleven for the Republic of Ireland's game with Denmark tonight.

Eyal Berkovic has not flown out to link up with the Israeli squad after Souness asked for the player to be left out