Sir Alex Ferguson claims Alan Smith's recall to the international scene is warranted, insisting that the striker gives England a different kind of threat.
The firebrand forward has been named in Steve McClaren's B squad to face Albania on May 25, and Sir Alex has endorsed the decision to bring Smith back from the international wilderness.
"I think England do lack options for centre forward, they havent got many," said the Boss. "Michael Owens been injured for a long time, the lad (Andy) Johnson has broken through but hes had an operation and hes out, and theyve got Crouch and Wayne Rooney.
"Theyve not got many options. I think Alan has shown an enthusiasm, and I said at the time that he injected a bit of life into the team at a very important time and hes done a good job for us."
Sir Alex has assured Smith that, despite deploying him in midfield against Chelsea on Wednesday, his future is very much as a striker - likening his qualities to that of United legend Mark Hughes.
"Alan's a natural centre-forward," he said. "We used him in midfield the other night simply because of numbers and the availability of players, and he played last season as a midfielder.
"But I think hes a natural English type centre forward. He gives defenders a hard time, hes not easy to play against, hes brave, has good balance and is two footed. Hes got a lot of good things Alan, just the same as Mark Hughes had."
