It was perhaps no coincidence that Charlton recorded their first home win of the season yesterday on the day that their impressive midfielder, Scott Parker, returned to first team action.

The gutsy midfielder has added a physical presence and strength to his game over the last season and is now looking to make the step up to Sven's senior squad, having impressed hugely against Middlesbrough at the Valley.

Scott was an instrumental figure in David Platt's Under-21 set up last season and he now has his sights set on emulating his team-mate Chris Powell to win a spot in Sven's squad.

The 22-year-old told the Evening Standard: "In every England squad there is always a surprise. I've played for England at every other age level and it's always been a dream to play in the full side."