 Despite having played for the senior side , Bent was recalled to the under @-@ 21 squad for their October 2006 qualification play @-@ offs against Germany . Later that month , he was recalled to the senior squad due to an injury to Andrew Johnson shortly after the squad 's announcement . He was called to the England squad for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia in November 2007 . He came on as an 80th @-@ minute substitute as England lost 3 – 2 and failed to qualify for the tournament . He was called up to the team for a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in March 2009 following an injury to striker Carlton Cole . He made his second start for England in a 1 – 0 friendly defeat to Brazil on 14 November 2009 . Bent was named in England 's preliminary 30 @-@ man squad for the 2010 World Cup on 11 May 2010 , although he was eventually omitted from the final 23 @-@ man squad on 1 June . 
