EX-CHERRIES goalscoring sensation Jermain Defoe could be in line for a shock England World Cup call-up just over a year after leaving Dean Court.

The West Ham striker, who scored 18 goals in 29 games on loan with AFC Bournemouth last season, is on official stand-by to join Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad for football's showpiece occasion, which begins in Japan and South Korea at the end of this month.

So the 19-year-old player Cherries fans always rated so highly still has an outside chance of being involved in England's preparations for their World Cup opener against Sweden at Saitama in Japan on Sunday, June 2.

Defoe, currently with the England squad in Switzer-and competing in the Euro-pean Under-21 Champion-ship, is one of four players on stand-by.

The others are David Dunn (Blackburn), Alan Smith (Leeds) and Gareth Barry (Aston Villa).

Defoe was a big hit with Cherries when he sent shivers down the spine of Division Two defences as he plundered goal after goal.

And, before he lines up for England against Italy in Basle tonight (7.30pm), he said: "I haven't booked a summer holiday yet.

"But I'm not thinking about the possibility of joining the full squad. I'm not that sort of person. You've just got to take life one day at a time."

Realistically, Defoe has never thought it likely he would be in with a shout of appearing in the World Cup this year.

However, he said: "Perhaps I thought 'maybe' for a split second when I picked up magazines and newspapers and saw my name popping up as somebody who might be picked.

"But, deep down, I never really thought I'd go. I've just been looking forward to the Under-21 Championships. This is the first big tournament I've played in and it's a major thing for me."

Defoe made his Premiership debut for West Ham at Middlesbrough one year and one day ago - only two weeks after leaving Cherries - and his standing in the game has come on in leaps and bounds since then.