"CAP ME" - DI CANIO

The West Ham striker has spoken out in light of the current shortage of striking options for the national team after Alessandro Del Piero`s unimpressive return from injury and Roberto Baggio`s problems with Inter Milan and said: "I`d love a full cap."

Di Canio, who played for the Italian Under-21 side but never broke into the full squad, fears that he is being overlooked because he is playing in England after seeing the international careers of Fabrizio Ravanelli and Gianfranco Zola disappear after signing for Middlesbrough and Chelsea.

"They have a strange way in Italy." Di Canio admitted. "We think that people who play away from our country cannot be any good, that they have chosen to play in an easy league.

"But I think the most difficult league of all is in England. In Serie A it`s often man against man and slower, but here you have to run for 95 minutes. It`s a battle all of the game.

"When Zola came here, when Ravanelli came here, they lost their place in the national team, but that didn`t stop them being great players.

Maybe I could give something to the team. I believe in myself, but it`s difficult when someone doesn`t want to look at you. Del Piero has come back from injury, but he does not play very well. Baggio has a big problem and Zoff doesn`t want Zola."

Harry Redknapp has backed Di Canio`s claims for a place when he said: "He`s a genius. I can`t believe I got him for just £1.5 million."

Di Canio`s move to Upton Park came about after becoming an exile at Sheffield Wednesday following his infamous shove on referee Paul Alcock but the Italian said: "A lot of people said I was a joke, the worst signing anyone could have made.

"Now, a year on, I think everyone can see that they were wrong. I realise how the manager and the chairman made a big gamble 11 months ago and I want to repay them."

David Allen