The penny might just have dropped with England's most expensive footballer, and at exactly the right time for Roy Hodgson.

In little more than two hours of football, Andy Carroll has thrust himself into Hodgson's thinking as the new England manager considers his options before naming his European Championship squad next Wednesday.

Carroll changed the game and very nearly the outcome of Saturday's FA Cup final after joining the contest as a second-half substitute, and in the 90 minutes that followed on Tuesday the Chelsea defence again experienced big problems. For John Terry, trying to deal with the powerfully built forward proved a nightmare.

Up in the air: Carroll could force his way into Hodgson's squad for this summer's Euros

As Glen Johnson, the Liverpool and  England right back, said after the game: 'Terry was petrified at times.'

Like Johnson, Wayne Rooney declared Carroll 'unplayable', and there is no doubt the Liverpool striker is starting to demonstrate why the Anfield hierarchy thought it good  business to pay Newcastle £35million for his services.

Fabio Capello had lost interest, issues with Carroll's lifestyle frustrating the then England manager to the point where he no longer featured in the Italian's thinking.

In Capello's mind the striker was squandering his talent; a waste of time. After the FA Cup semi-final against Everton, Carroll insisted he had adopted a more professional attitude; started to listen not just to Capello and Kenny Dalglish but to senior players like  Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

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