England’s Bent keen to impress Capello at Wembley

Bent spearheads one of the least experienced strike forces assembled by Capello, who will miss his son’s wedding in Italy as it clashes with Saturday’s game at Wembley

The Aston Villa player has won only 11 caps but that is five more than the combined tally of the other strikers in Capello’s squad – Gabriel Agbonlahor (three caps), Danny Welbeck (two), Bobby Zamora (one) and Daniel Sturridge (none).

Bent has netted four goals in his last five internationals but he is not getting ahead of himself after missing out on selection for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

However, he knows showing what he is capable of against the world and European champions can only enhance his chances of being on the plane to Poland and Ukraine next June.

Bent said: “I remember playing against Brazil a couple of years ago and thinking ‘wow, I’ve never played a team like it’. This is going up another gear. Spain are the best team in the world, who won the last World Cup and the Euros.

“It would be great to play against someone like Spain and prove you can handle yourself at that level.

“There is no-one better. They are the top, top level and you are going to meet people like them next summer so it’s a chance to show what you can do.”

Bent has slotted in effectively with Wayne Rooney, who has been left out of this squad following his three-match ban for the Euro finals while Capello experiments.

But the former Sunderland player has had enough international setbacks to take nothing for granted. “Some people have said to me ‘you are a regular player now for England’ but I don’t want to count my chickens because a lot has happened to me with England squads.”

Agbonlahor is recalled after a two-year absence and has impressed alongside Bent at club level this season.

Capello is also eager to assess the potential of Welbeck and Sturridge with the Chelsea youngster called up at senior level for the first time.

Major injury doubts surround Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka, who has a hairline fracture of his toe which will be assessed by medical staff.