Shropshire’s Joe Hart tonight hopes to take a major step towards booking his place on England’s World Cup flight to South Africa this summer.

The former Shrewsbury Town goalkeeper is expected to play some part in tonight’s Wembley friendly against Egypt which comes exactly 100 days before England’s first World Cup game against USA.

Any appearance for Hart, a former Meole Brace School pupil who is now 22, would represent his home England debut after he featured in a friendly in Trinidad & Tobago in June 2008.

David James is seen as the favourite for the No 1 shirt and could start tonight, but injury has curtailed the number of games he has played for relegation-threatened Portsmouth.

And Hart, who has been in highly impressive form for Birmingham City in the Barclays Premier League this season, has pushed his way into the forefront of Fabio Capello’s thinking for a place in the World Cup squad.

Hart left Shrewsbury Town in the summer of 2006 to join Manchester City where he played a number of first team games before losing out to new signing Shay Given last January.

He joined Birmingham on a season-long loan last summer, and Blues boss Alex McLeish is keen to retain his services again next season.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard – captain for tonight’s game – believes it is crucial the England squad are united to have any chance of World Cup glory.

Gerrard stressed the need to retain “togetherness and team spirit” in the wake of recent allegations concerning the likes of axed skipper John Terry and defender Ashley Cole.

He said: “I think it is important for everyone to get on to be successful. We know there are a lot of opinions about this squad from the outside.

“But the most important thing is from the inside we are all one, we are all together and united.

“For us to be successful we need to all stick together. We know each other and we’ve had enough time under Fabio to realise what the manager wants from us.

“During the last couple of days, the team spirit and togetherness have not been affected. Everyone is united.”

By JAMES GARRISON