Sunderland manager Gus Poyet believes Jermain Defoe can resurrect his England career after adding another goal for the Black Cats in their 1-1 draw at Swansea.
Defoe headed back to England last month just 11 months into a four-year MLS contract at Toronto FC and has immediately hit the goal trail on Wearside.
The 32-year-old scored his second Sunderland goal in three Premier League starts at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, becoming the first player to register against every one of the 20 clubs in the top flight.
But Poyet believes Defoe -- caped 55 times by England -- can do even better than that and once more play for an international side he last represented against Chile in November 2013.
"When you pick strikers you pick those in form and scoring goals," Poyet said. "We saw today Harry Kane at Spurs and it's an obvious choice, but Jermain has a chance if Wayne Rooney plays in midfield.
"But that's up to Roy [Hodgson] to decide. I respect the manager of the national team and the only thing the player can do is perform."
Defoe's arrival has certainly lifted Sunderland and the Black Cats battled for a precious point in south Wales after winning back-to-back games against Burnley and at Fulham in the FA Cup for the first time this season.
"We are a different team with Jermain," Poyet said after former Sunderland loanee Ki Sung-yueng had deprived his side of all three points with a diving second-half header.
"When you've got a player sooner or later that you know is going to score it makes the rest of the team believe that you've got a chance to win football games.
"I've been killing myself to think, 'Do I need to have to give him a rest?' He's been out for four months.
"But I can't and I have to say, 'Sorry J, you have to play because I cannot let games go pass without playing you'.
"[Costel] Pantilimon made a couple of very good saves so you cannot say we deserved to win, but we had a very good first half and I was pleased with the way we played and passed the ball."