Carroll still dreaming of England chance

West Ham striker Andy Carroll insists he has not given up hope of playing for England after scoring a hat-trick against Arsenal on Saturday.

The Gunners, priced at 11.00 to win the title, raced into a 2-0 lead after goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, and looked to be cruising.

However, Carroll struck twice in two minutes before the end of the first half. His header and half volley put West Ham back on level terms before he then grabbed his third just after the break.

Laurent Koscielny managed to make it 3-3 but Carroll’s performance caught the eye at Upton Park.

The former Newcastle United star has struggled with injuries again this season but he is refusing to rule himself out of the Euro 2016 squad.

Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck are currently ahead of him in the pecking order but Carroll admits he still dreams of playing for England.

Carroll told BT Sport: “Is England in my thinking? Without a doubt you know!

“You always have that in the back of your head, but I’ve just got to play every game here and see how it goes.”

Carroll’s performance was praised by manager Slaven Bilic after the match and the former Croatia boss insists nobody can handle him when he’s fully fit.

Bilic said: “Andy Carroll has everything. It’s impossible to stop him.

“His work rate, watch how many times he tried to get the ball off them. He was keeping the ball, laying it off. Heading, he’s maybe the best in the world.

“He has to stay away from those injuries. He’s professional but he’s got to be totally dedicated to his career and football.”