GAVIN McCann was last night told he can become the equal of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira as Howard Wilkinson backed him to graduate into the Premiership's leading midfield enforcer.

After nearly two years in the doldrums following a serious knee injury, Wilkinson reckons McCann can return to the international fold after he recaptured his early Sunderland form in last Sunday's win over Liverpool.

McCann, who won his only England cap against Spain in February 2001, matched the likes of Manchester United captain Keane and Arsenal skipper Vieira and as he emerged as a major driving force behind Sunderland's surge up the Premiership.

Now, with Wilkinson looking for his players to replicate their last performance when they visit West Bromwich Albion tomorrow, the Sunderland manager underlined 24-year-old McCann's huge potential and urged him to meet the high standards he set against Liverpool.

He said: "If Gavin consistently turned in performances like that one over the next four or five months, you'd find it very difficult to pick a better player of his type.

"He's older and should be wiser than when he last played for England and he's not yet at his peak in terms of his age and experience. I'd have thought an England place is a possibility.

"But while we can talk for hours about this week, it's Saturday that will be the judge. It's only at 4.45pm on Saturday that we'll know what effect that's had on Gavin.

"Consistency means doing it right, or trying to do it right, all the time. You have to set high standards all the time.

"I don't think you can only be consistent on a Saturday. It's one thing having a gift; it's another thing maximising it.

"There are a lot of gifted musicians around who are teenagers, but it's the ones who want it badly enough and practice enough who make it. It's got to become a habit for them.

"What we have to do is make sure that Gavin has as much help as possible during the week to enable him to play that well and become consistent."

Jody Craddock could be available again tomorrow after missing two games with an ankle injury.

* Sunderland Reserves' game against Liverpool, scheduled to take place at Durham last night, was postponed because of a frozen pitch.

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