Teddy intent on forcing Eriksson's hand

Teddy Sheringham today insisted he still needs to persuade Sven-Goran Eriksson to give him a World Cup place.

The Tottenham captain believes leading the team out for the Worthington Cup Final on Sunday will be "the proudest moment of my career". But he is not so certain about securing his place in Korea and Japan this summer.

Sheringham, whose crucial equalising goal as a substitute against Greece last year put England on the road to the World Cup finals, is convinced he is not one of the England coach's 17 or 18 certainties, despite being many pundits' choice to start alongside Michael Owen.

He was left out of England's last friendly international, against Holland in Amsterdam, because Eriksson wanted to try out some other striking options.

And he sees this Sunday's high profile clash with Blackburn as the perfect stage to push his claims even further.

Sheringham said: "It was nice of him to ring me and tell me he was trying other players but it will mean nothing if I am not in his next squad. I think there are 17 or 18 players who have booked their tickets and that there are four or five places up for grabs.

"I am hoping to get one of those. I don't think I'm in the 17 or 18. He likes players to be involved in the Champions League, but he knows what I can do and as long as he sees I am still doing that, then I hope I'll be in his plans."

Meanwhile, Sheringham believes Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy is ready to inherit his Player of the Year title.

The 35-year-old is convinced the United striker, who has 28 goals in all competitions in his first season in England, is the natural choice.

Sheringham also thinks his former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, would have been a fool to have quit the club.

Ferguson was set to retire at the end of the current season, but has now opted to stay on for another three campaigns and Sheringham reckons that is bad news for the rest of the Premiership.

He said: "Ruud van Nistelrooy has been outstanding for United in view of the goals he has scored since he arrived. He's been doing that in a struggling side at times and has been a big bonus for them.

"He would be my choice as Player of the Year, even though there are a few months of the season left. It would have been nice to have played alongside him and Juan Veron as well as the rest of the United lads but I'm happy with the decision I made.

"As for Alex, he would have been a fool to leave that club. They've got their best years ahead of them yet and they will be phenomenal over the next two or three years."