A lack of natural wingers for the Three Lions opens the door to Antonio, who scored against Bournemouth.

West Ham United’s Michail Antonio celebrating scoring against Bournemouth

It’s just under two weeks until we see the first England international of the season, with the Three Lions travelling to Slovakia for Sam Allardyce’s first match in charge.

If the England football team was dying a death, Roy Hodgson was its undertaker. Phenomenally underwhelming in his four years in charge, Allardyce must restore some pride and respect where his predecessor failed and raise the performance levels of a number of senior stars.

And the former West Ham manager may look back towards East London to find a new face for his squad before September 4th.

Prior to England’s disastrous Euro 2016, a number of Hammers fans expressed disgust at the omission of long-serving skipper Mark Noble from Hodgson’s preliminary squad, but very few were surprised at Michail Antonio’s absence.

The former Nottingham Forest man enjoyed a decent debut season at Upton Park scoring eight goals, but his form was overlooked by Hodgson who took just one traditional winger in the form of Raheem Sterling to France.

Antonio heads their winner at the London Stadium

As West Ham rounded off the second set of Premier League fixtures, Antonio’s header to beat Bournemouth served as a reminder and a fresh alternative to what he could bring to England.

The 26-year-old is direct, strong and a genuine goalscoring threat which is something England’s wingers desperately lack.

In comparison to Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andros Townsend who enjoyed a late surge in form at Newcastle, Antonio registered more goals and more assists in the league last season, yet went completely under the radar.

How so? Antonio had a very recent and rapid rise into top flight football having been something of a Football League journeyman, playing for eight different clubs before West Ham pried him away from Forest.

The fact that he wasn’t a teenager with big potential worked against him, whereas Chamberlain has been labelled the next big thing ever since his arrival at Arsenal and so far has failed to live up to lofty expectations.

Michail Antonio celebrates with Mark Noble after scoring against Manchester United last season

Antonio has also had to struggle with Slaven Bilic’s insistence of using him as an auxiliary right back which is simply not a position that allows him the greatest benefit to himself and the club.

But under Allardyce, there is some hope that chances will be given to those who genuinely deserve a shot, not hand out appearances a la Jack Wilshere or Daniel Sturridge whose fitness concerns pale in comparison to their status and club affiliation.

West Ham haven’t produced too many England internationals recently with the club at one point flitting between the Premier League and the Championship and the harsh association that somehow their players aren’t good enough because West Ham aren’t a top four club.

Neither are Everton and John Stones and Ross Barkley are there. Neither are Southampton but Ryan Bertrand and Fraser Forster are in the squad.

Even Liverpool had five players in an England shirt at Euro 2016 and they finished in eighth place behind West Ham last season.

It’s a fine line between players who are good enough to play for England and those who deserve a chance to state their case, but Antonio’s performance against Bournemouth will certainly give Allardyce food for thought as he names his first England squad to take on Slovakia on Sunday.

West Ham United’s Michail Antonio celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates and fans

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