Better late than never: Bothroyd for England?

Coventry City will have to be on their guard for not one, but two of their former strikers at the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday when Championship highflyers Cardiff City come to CV6 for a tasty-looking league encounter.

Craig Bellamy is in line to make his first appearance against the club where he remains the £6.5m record signing while his one-time Sky Blues colleague Jay Bothroyd is also showing the kind of consistent form that seemed destined to elude him and leave his career profile as one of a talent wasted.

Dave Jones seems to be the man to have got the best out of the former Arsenal trainee, whose quality was always evident throughout his time with Coventry, if not the application and desire now on show at the Cardiff City stadium week in and week out.

'If England are looking for a different sort of striker they should look at Jay,' said Jones at the weekend, believing that with Fabio Capello forced to draft in 33-year-old Kevin Davies for the recent qualifier with Montenengro, a look at the Championship might be in order for the Italian.

'He wouldn't look out of place with England because he's a high quality player.'

Bothroyd's meandering career took him to Perugia, Blackburn, Charlton, Wolves and Stoke after leaving Highfield Road, where he had scored 14 goals in 72 league appearances.

He has been in South Wales now however since August 2008, netting 29 times in 88 Championship games and leaving Jones in no doubt as to his qualities.

'Jay's got everything - he's big and strong, he's got pace, he can hold the ball up and he can see a pass.

'There aren't many better than him at what he does.'

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