text: If Charlie Austin played for a big club he would be in the England team by now. That’s the populist stance, anyway, and parroting it is much easier than working through the logistics. If we think a squad should contain four strikers, who should Roy Hodgson drop to make way? Wayne Rooney, the captain, poised to overtake Sir Bobby Charlton as the greatest goal-scorer in England’s history? Danny Welbeck, the top scorer across this European Championship qualifying round, with six goals in five games? Harry Kane, English football’s leading goalscorer — or Daniel Sturridge, the man whose partnership with Luis Suarez almost propelled Liverpool to the title last season? Charlie Austin is yet to receive an international call-up despite scoring 17 Premier League goals for QPR . Austin scored in QPR's 3-3 draw with fellow Premier League strugglers Aston Villa on Tuesday night . Harry Kane (left) and Wayne Rooney (right) started in England's recent 1-1 draw with Italy . Every few years an England manager must ride this accusation of big-club favouritism. Remember when Grant Holt of Norwich City was thought to have been unjustly ignored by Hodgson in 2012? Not hearing so much of that since his career nosedived into the Championship, and probably League One, with Wigan Athletic. Austin is different from Holt, whose finest form came towards the end of his career. He will probably move on from Queens Park Rangers at the end of the season and may even earn an England call-up then. Critics will say it is because he now plays for a fashionable club. That isn’t true. Austin has had an excellent year but England have goal-scorers who are in even better form, or have earned their place in the squad. Make no mistake, if he was playing this well as a right back or centre half, he’d have made his debut long ago. Daniel Sturridge (left) and Danny Welbeck are also ahead of Austin in Roy Hodgson's pecking order . There was a clamour for Grant Holt to be named in the England squad during his time at Norwich .
target: Charlie Austin is yet to receive England call-up despite impressing for QPR .
  Austin has scored 17 Premier League goals for the relegation strugglers .
  Roy Hodgson should not listen to those who say he favours big clubs .