Paul happy to wait for senior service

Charlton manager Alan Curbishley wants Paul Konchesky to be patient in pursuit of a full England cap.

The youngster should line up for the Under-21s tonight in a friendly against Yugoslavia at Bolton but he has got his sights set on Sven-Goran Eriksson's senior squad.

Konchesky is naturally left-sided, where England have a dearth of talent, and his target is to break through in time for the European Championships in 2004.

The 21-year-old has featured in 57 Premiership games for his club in the last two seasons despite having to compete with former England international Chris Powell for his favoured left-back position. He also played in all three of England's Under-21 games at the European Championships last summer and in the past year Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip has sung his praises.

Newcastle manager Bobby Robson has also checked on his availability. But with Wayne Bridge and Ashley Cole vying for the left-back slot in the senior squad, Konchesky's club manager is urging him not to rush things.

Curbishley said: "Paul has got a lot going for him. He plays in a few different positions down the left and is a very handy person to have because of that. He has also got great pace and must be one of the quickest players we have. I would say he is one of the best full-backs around going forward.