Steve Nicol has told talkSPORT that Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling has a decent chance of making England’s World Cup squad if he continues his fine form.

The winger has recently rediscovered the consistency that led to him making his international bow last season and he was again outstanding in the 5-3 win at Stoke.

“For me one of the real surprises over the last month or two has been Sterling. He’s beginning to make so many better decisions when he gets in the final third and I think the penalty shows that,” Nicol told Extra Time.

“It was a smart move, he’s invited the challenge, he gets bumped and he gets a penalty kick. That’s good decision making and thinking about the game, he’s been a bit of a revelation the last six weeks.”

Asked whether Sterling could be England’s man to replace the injury stricken Theo Walcott, Nicol said: “There’s an outside chance. The fact that Walcott will be gone kind of opens the door a little bit more. People like Andros Townsend haven’t been playing, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t been playing.

“If he can play the way he has the last four or five weeks between now and the end of the season then it would make sense to take somebody of his pace.”