West Ham United centre-forward Carlton Cole accepts his England place is on a knife-edge.

"I might not even make the squad coming up. There is so much competition," he said in the Daily Mirror. "You've got Peter Crouch who got a hat-trick last week, there's Emile Heskey as well.

"Gabby Agbonlahor is scoring goals and Darren Bent is doing well for Sunderland. I haven't even mentioned Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, guys like that. There is such an array of talent that you can't take your place for granted. You've always got to stay on your toes."

The popular perception is that only a few spots in the final 23-man squad are still up for grabs, with Capello likely to have made a decision on most of his players already.

However, Cole realises the situation can change very quickly and has vowed to keep striving for improvement.

"Everyone thinks people have got a place carved in stone for the World Cup, but anything can happen," he explained. "Just to go into a squad with the likes of David Beckham and Steven Gerrard in it has been a massive step for me.

"Mr Capello knows what he wants and he is always in touch with Gianfranco (Zola) to see how I can improve my game. That's what keeps me grounded."