ENGLAND'S loss could turn out to be Blackburn Rovers' gain as Chris Sutton focuses single-mindedly on the Premiership with his international hopes looking a lost cause, writes PETER WHITE.
The six-goal striker, "gutted" at being overlooked by Glenn Hoddle for the Moldova match, is putting all thoughts of England to the back of his mind to pursue his Ewood cause.
"My aim, first and foremost, has always been to do well for Blackburn, to have a good start to the season and to stay as fit as I can," he said.
"As long as things go well here, that's what matters and I have really been enjoying it.
"I have been training quite well and the goals help if you can put a couple away early on.
"When the ball dropped to me at Crystal Palace on Saturday, I only had one thing in my mind and that was to hit it."
Sutton produced a classic finish to put Rovers ahead at Palace but that was symptomatic of his red-hot form so far this season. And it really is unbelievable that Hoddle should select Stan Collymore, for one, ahead of Sutton.
The England coach saw Collymore have an anonymous match at Villa Park - on the night Sutton ran riot and scored a hat-trick!
And Hoddle's representatives have watched other Rovers matches as he has rammed in six goals from the first five games.
Little wonder, the £5 million man - once Britain's most expensive striker - despairs of ever claiming a full cap to go with his England under-21 and B honours.
"I don't think it's being defeatist or negative but I just feel I am never going to be picked now," he said after treatment for a foot injury which has now cleared.
"You never expect anything in football but I really thought I had an excellent chance this time.
"And if I am so far down the pecking order that I can't get in when Shearer and Fowler are injured, where does that leave me?" Sutton couldn't hide his disappointment when the squad was announced but he bounced back in the best possible way with another fine performance at Palace who suffered the backlash.
So you could say Rovers have already reaped one dividend, hopefully with more to come.
But he said: "I don't think I have to go out and prove anything.
"I have just gone out and played the best I can and things have gone well.
"It couldn't have gone much better for us. But we mustn't get carried away, things can change.
"We seem to be counter-attacking fairly well away from home and have looked fairly solid.
"At the same time, we seem to have more strings to our bow this season.
"Fitness is so important to me. At six foot three I have a lot to carry around but, this season, I have still been feeling strong at the end of a game."
The annual meeting of the Rovers Supporters' Association will be held on Thursday, September 18, in the Red Rose Suite (7pm).
Rovers are running a special promotion for the Coca-Cola Cup second round first leg tie against Preston at Ewood on Wednesday, September 17 (kick-off 8pm).
Fans buying an adult ticket in the Walkersteel Stand can get a child's ticket free.
Tickets went on sale at Ewood today for the category B game with prices £16-£20 (concessions where available £10).
League season-ticket holders need voucher 'P' and their book to claim their own seats and have until closing time on Tuesday to do it. From Wednesday ALL seats will be on open sale. Premium ticket holders need take no action.
Preston have been allocated 5,100 seats in the Darwen End. The Ewood ticket office will be closed on Saturday, because of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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