ROY HODGSON has been urged to carefully consider giving Jermain Defoe an England recall for the Euros this summer after being described as Sunderland’s ‘best piece of business in a long time’.

Sam Allardyce, his manager, has been indebted to Defoe’s goalscoring prowess this season and his 15 goals in 32 league appearances have ensured Sunderland are on the verge of preserving Premier League status.

The striker's goals have contributed directly to 14 points, and without them Sunderland would have been condemned to life in the Championship already.

Instead, after Defoe’s winner against Chelsea on Saturday, victory over Everton tomorrow night will mean Sunderland have secured top-flight status at the expense of Newcastle United.

His brilliant form – Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy are the only Englishmen who boast more this season - has led to suggestions Defoe should be in Hodgson’s thinking as he prepares to name his England squad on Thursday.

The Three Lions play three pre-tournament friendlies, including one at the Stadium of Light against Australia on May 27, and Defoe appears to be behind Kane, Vardy, Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott, even though Danny Welbeck has suffered an injury.

Allardyce said: “I just think, if Roy needed anybody to go along with experience and he needed a goal, and maybe not from the start sometimes, then Jermain would be your man, if he felt he needed it. Because he has proven that this year.

“He has had a big run of games that he has not had for a few years. He has been a consistent performer at the highest level again. He has scored 18 goals in all competitions, which leaves him around the third or the fourth highest scorer in all competitions this year, which is pretty miraculous for a team that has been sat in the bottom three or four all season.”

Defoe has rafts of experience at the top level, having scored 19 times for his country from his 55 caps. He also scored the last goal at the World Cup in 2010 for England against Slovenia.

Allardyce said: “I don’t think he has to prove he can do it for England, because he has already done it for them. What he has just said is that ‘I can still do it if you want me to’. This season, he has said, ‘Roy, if you want me to, here I am, look at what I’ve done, I can still do it if you think you need me’.

“If resurrected himself is the right word, he has certainly done that this season, by the level of performance. And having just been reminded that he was swapped for (Jozy) Altidore, it’s one of the best bits of businesses the club has done for a long time, with all due to respect for Mr Altidore.”

Defoe moved to Wearside during Gus Poyet’s time in charge in January last year, but he struggled initially because he was repeatedly played out wide, particularly under Dick Advocaat.

But Allardyce found a way to fit him into the lone striker system and has justified the contract he was handed when he swapped clubs with Altidore, who moved to Toronto, and he wants to keep him next season if Sunderland stay up.

“How could it be a ridiculous piece of business swapping Altidore, who has only scored two goals in two years?” asked Allardyce, after being reminded how there was criticism of Sunderland’s move for Defoe.

“There is no point in even thinking about losing him. It is more about finding somebody else for him to play with, who can score as many goals as he does.”

Defoe will turn 34 in October, but Allardyce said: “He’s a young 33 because he’s not a drinker, he looks after himself properly and he has always been dedicated. He uses all the backroom staff to the maximum he potentially needs to in terms of supplementation, diet and nutrition, fluids, recovery. He does it all.

“He mixes his own drinks now, he is always inquisitive about ‘why do I drink this? Why do I take that? Why do I have this?’ When the lads explain it to him, he generally takes all he possibly can to keep him going for as long as possible, because there is nothing better than playing as long as you can.

“He doesn’t seem to get injured much. He reminds me a little bit of Gary Speed, God rest his soul. He trains every day, rarely seems to get injured, and performs at a very high level. The performances and work rate are still there.

“Some of the levels of physical output he puts in have been quite outstanding when I’ve looked at them. He’s not been hanging around for a goal, he’s far from it. His work rate off the ball is constant and because of that, he is a constant threat for defenders.”

Defoe will be leading the line when Sunderland look for the result against Everton that will seal their Premier League future. They have already been boosted by the news that in-form defender Lamine Kone has recovered from a slight thigh problem and will play.