Injury proves a blessing for Ashton

Dean Ashton’s FA Cup season could have been ended by West Ham at Carrow Road in January, but thanks to a twist of fate and a timely injury he now has his sights set on firing the Hammers into the final.

Ashton, 22, officially missed Norwich’s third round tie against West Ham with a minor groin problem, which was detected just 24 hours before kick-off.

West Ham went on to win the game 2-1 and a fortnight later Ashton, who had avoided becoming cup-tied, completed a £7.25m (€10.5m) move to Upton Park.

It is understood West Ham were not prepared to break their transfer record if he was unavailable for FA Cup duty.

Publicly, Norwich and Ashton maintain the injury was genuine and the timing coincidental.

But Ashton could not hide his relief at being available for Sunday’s clash with Middlesbrough, as West Ham hunt their first FA Cup final appearance in 26 years.

“I always want to play but of course everyone came up to me and told me I wasn’t fit and fair play to them because I would have thought the same,” said Ashton.

“Everyone bar myself thought I wasn’t injured – but I was injured for definite.

“It is strange to think that perhaps the injury was a good thing.

“It is not fair on Norwich to say that, but obviously in hindsight it was fantastic because it means I can be involved in the semi-final.”

Ashton made an immediate impact at West Ham, scoring five in his first seven games, including a brace in the quarter-finals against Manchester City.

He has not scored in five games since and West Ham have struggled, distracted by the opportunies that await them at Villa Park.

But he relishes the big occasions and is confident he can fire the Hammers back into form on one of the biggest stages in English football.

He continued: “I have always felt that ever since I was a young lad I do rise to the occasion.

“With the bigger games and the bigger occasions I do play well. On Sunday it will be the same.

“When all the players are on their game and up for the game, I just feel we can beat any side in the league when we are like that.

“With the big games, your big players have got to play well and it has got to be the same on Sunday.”

At the back of a few minds will be England and the chance of Ashton breaking into the World Cup squad.

Ashton, though, is not banking on it. He has already booked a summer holiday and looks on with some envy at the chance Darren Bent has got with a full Premiership season behind him.

Ashton has scored 10 Premiership goals in 26 games for Norwich and West Ham, but is yet to play a full season in the top flight.

Asked if that has hampering his international chances, Ashton said: “Yes, I felt like that last season as well.

“To get into the England squad you have to do it over a whole season and that is still something I have got to prove I can do.

“I don’t feel I have made it now because I have scored a few goals in my first few games for West Ham. I feel I have got to push on and do well consistently.”

Stages do not come much bigger than an FA Cup semi-final to impress Sven-Goran Eriksson, or even Steve McLaren, who is tipped to become the next England boss.

The Hammers man admitted: “It is a big stage and hopefully people will be watching but it is only injuries to other players that will get me into the squad now.

“It would be fantastic if something happened but the players already in the squad are playing well.”

Pardew is convinced that when his time comes, Ashton can offer something England have not had since Alan Shearer retired from international football.

He said: “I was at the dinner on Tuesday night for Alan Shearer, and Sir Alex Ferguson was waxing lyrical about: ’Where are the old centre-forwards?’

“You can’t find them. We keep getting videos of people playing in the hole and drifting out wide.

“But there’s one in Dean Ashton and if I can help him become a leaner, meaner machine I think he’s going to be a great player for the future.

“We are not creating enough chances for him at the minute.

“Dean has fantastic technique and I’m hoping that our form kicks in a little bit on Sunday and we create a few more chances for him to get shots off.”