Trevor's Silver Lining

Trevor Sinclair hopes that his having to pull out of the England squad to face Slovakia on Wednesday can prove to be a "blessing in disguise."

He is trying to look on the bright side after he failed to overcome the dead leg injury that ruled him out of the Serbia and Montenegro game and he admits: "It is very disappointing, especially to pick something up in training, but I suppose that is one of the risks that you take when we train with such high intensity - it is an occupational hazard.

"It has been a long season, especially after the lack of rest last summer, but it might be a blessing in disguise and I have a little bit more time off before the start of next season, which starts sooner than usual for us anyway.

"It is a very long season. Mentally you have got to be right and physically you have to be, but I know we will be because we have the best people looking after us to get us fit."

Trevor, famed for his globetrotting last summer when he returned to England's training camp on the other side of the world to be with his pregnant wife only to be recalled almost immediately, adds: "Sometimes it is overlooked that mentally you need the rest as well for three, four, or five weeks so you can come back refreshed.

"The first half of the season was very disappointing but the second half was a little bit better, though still not what I was expecting of the season.

"The last 10 or 12 games went as well as you might have hoped, and that is the kind of form I want to start in next season.

"But it was nice that the gaffer saw how I played and picked me for England, along with David James and Joe Cole."