Football: Dublin delivers echo of a glorious era

Dion Dublin has been cast as a latter-day Geoff Hurst since being called up for England's friendly against Chile tomorrow but, reports Glenn Moore, he is just as likely to fill the role once played by Jackie Charlton.

Strong in the air, an intelligent leader of the line and a capable goalscorer, it is no wonder Dion Dublin has been compared to Geoff Hurst. Not that the two have identical styles but Dublin, like Hurst, will be making an England debut in the February before a July World Cup final.

However, Dublin could find himself playing at centre-half rather than centre-forward against Chile at Wembley tomorrow, thus inviting another World Cup '66 comparison. His gangling physique and aerial prowess are reminiscent of Jack Charlton but, more pertinently, so is his late arrival on the international stage. Charlton was 29 when he made his debut in April 1965, Dublin will be 29 this April and his emergence is equally unexpected.

At Bisham Abbey yesterday, Dublin began training at centre-half and finished it at centre-forward. "I tested him out and he coped extremely well," said Glenn Hoddle, who said Dublin will play some part in the friendly but would not reveal what position it would be in. "I am confident enough to play him in either position, he is in the squad on merit for both positions," added the England coach.

"My first choice is centre-forward," said the player himself. "I always wanted to play up front and worked at that most - but it won't be a problem if I'm asked to play centre-half for England. I do a job for Coventry at centre-half when they're desperate and I played there when I started out so I know the job, but it is a different standard in the Premier Division."

Gordon Strachan, the Coventry manager, is said to regard Dublin as an "international class" prospect as a defender but merely "decent" as a forward, but Dublin insisted: "I've been picked on my form as a forward over the last few games, so I can't be that bad."

Dublin's role model, as with so many black players of his generation, was Cyrille Regis, though in his case it was also because he was a West Bromwich fan. Rejected by Norwich, he came to attention at Cambridge United before being signed by Manchester United. A broken leg in his third game set back his career - as did a new signing. "They signed Eric Cantona three or four weeks after I was injured and he ran the show for the next four years. I've no bitterness - it was great to watch, but you can only watch it for so long. Wherever you go from Manchester United it's going to be a smaller club, but I had to give myself the chance to prove to myself I could score goals at that level.

"I learned a lot from the players around me at United and especially from Brian Kidd. Going there was as big a shock as being called up by England. It took me six to eight months to settle at United. I hope it is quicker here."

Dublin, who scored his 16th goal of the season on Saturday, is in dispute with Coventry over a new contract to replace the current one which expires in 16 months' time. Being capped is likely to increase his value - and sense of worth - but it will also enhance Coventry's prestige. "It is a big boost for the club, that our players can be picked for England. People are beginning to see that we are not just a relegation team, that we have good players. Gordon Strachan has given us bigger hearts, last year if we went down we thought `that's it'. Not this year."

Dublin's versatility extends to playing the saxophone, but he has left the instrument behind this week, settling for tapes of Miles Davis and his ilk. This is partly due to new-boy nerves. Should he make the grade, the sax could be a popular part of team spirit come summertime when the World Cup living will be anything but easy.