THE door is open for Michael Ricketts to become an England regular, if he shapes up at Middlesbrough writes Gordon Sharrock

So says Mike Whitlow, who studied Ricketts at close quarters in their time together as Wanderers' team-mates and sees him as a serious contender to the Michael Owen-Emile Heskey axis.

"If Steve McClaren can make him a better player and, maybe, give him a kick up the bum every now and again and, if he really believes he can do it, he can play for England at the highest level regularly," Whitlow predicted today.

"He's got the ability, without a shadow of a doubt.

"I've got my fingers crossed for him. I really hope he does it."

Ricketts' comments that he had joined a "bigger club" with "better players" when he left for Middlesbrough in a £3.5m deadline-day deal were interpreted by some as a swipe at his former Wanderers' team-mates. But there has been no hint of any ill-feeling in the Reebok camp with Whitlow typifying the general view in wishing him well.

"Ricks never changed from when he arrived to when he left," says the seasoned defender. "He was a friend to me when he was here and he'll be a friend now he's left.

"He scored goals and he'll always score goals. He's struggled, yes, but he's a talented player. He's got two great feet and, when you see him in training every day, he's big, he's strong and he's quick.

"But I've told him I'll give him a whack if I'm playing when we play them (Middlesbrough) in the last game of the season."

Ricketts, who won his first and only England cap in Holland a year ago, was not in the reckoning when Sven Goran Eriksson named Everton's teenage sensation Wayne Rooney along with Owen and Southampton's James Beattie for Wednesday's friendly against Australia at Upton Park.

Heskey, his former team-mate at Leicester, is injured but Whitlow believes his partnership with Owen still constitutes England's best bet.

"I'd still go with Heskey and Owen," says the Bolton man. "It's easy to have a pop at somebody like Owen when he's not scored but he will score, like any other striker having a bad time. He's a great player.

"Beattie has had a good season but I think it's a big step up. Vassell's been in and out and they keep going on about young Rooney who, if he keeps his feet on the ground and keeps going the way he has been, is going to be a sensation. They say if you're good enough, you're old enough but I don't know. Maybe in a year or so.

"Heskey and Owen are still young and there's still enough younger ones to follow them so the future looks good for England."