Frank Lampard hopes Chelsea teammate Joe Cole will be in the final England squad after the group of 30 is culled to 23.
Cole was a fringe player in Chelsea double winning team this season, but did put in some eye-catching performances when he came on late in games.
Lampard feels the creative midfielder can be the key to unlocking opposition defences in the World Cup.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, he said: "I hope Joe will be in the squad because he is my mate and he is a great player."
"He is the sort of player who gives a team something different.
"Even though he has not played that many minutes this season, there is an argument to say that makes him fresh and more dangerous.
"Joe has that little bit of magic, that little turn of pace and ability to beat a man that make all the difference.
"Not many people can bring that to a team in top-class international football but he has it, so I hope he makes it because he deserves that."
Lampard feels Cole not having played a lot of games in the domestic campaign could actually be a big plus for the national team.
"Maybe that will give us a little edge, having Joe so fresh," he said.
"It can't harm any of the Chelsea players to be going to the World Cup full of so much confidence after winning the Double.
"Even Joe, who has been coming on for 20 minutes or half-an-hour in games, has been looking sharp."
Lamps also weighed in on Cole's Chelsea future. The latter is out of contract this summer and a new deal has not been sorted out yet.
"I don't know if he will stay at Chelsea, that is completely up to him, but Chelsea want him to stay," added Lampard.
"He has been a great player for us and we hope he will stay."
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