US international Jonathan Spector is hoping to be fit to face England on Wednesday, and says the game should prove how far the team has come on the world stage.

The West Ham defender played 28 times for his club this season, scoring once, but missed the last four games of the season with a hip injury. Frankie Hejduk has just been flown out as cover, but Spector, though touch and go, has yet to throw in the towel.

"I have been doing rehab at AthletiCo, alongside Bears footballers and other Chicago sportsmen," Spector recently told American Soccer Daily. "It was a disappointing way to end the season after I had got a number of games under my belt, but unfortunately injuries happen."

The Illinois native faces a busy summer of US friendlies and World Cup qualifiers, West Ham's MLS All-Star game plus the Olympic Games in Beijing, as well as his club's pre-season schedule.

But the one game he really does not want to miss is at Wembley on Wednesday. The last time his country of birth played his country of residence, in Chicago in 2005, Spector remained an unused substitute.

"Now I'm certainly looking forward to playing in that game and I hope to be fit for that," he said. "Not many people have the opportunity to play at Wembley."

"It should be a fantastic experience, especially since they have rebuilt the whole stadium. I might be coming up against a teammate (Dean Ashton), and guys I have played against already."

According to Spector, Wednesday's game, followed by friendlies with Spain and Argentina, is proof the US is now a major player in world soccer, a rise that has coincided with Major League Soccer's existence.

"I think the federation has made progress on the world stage," said Spector. "When you look at it the success of the National Team, it has coincided with the implementation of the national league and more and more Europeans are wanting to be a part of it because they recognize it as up and coming and improving."

"Players going over to Europe has certainly helped the National Team and US Soccer has a lot of good ideas on how things should be done."

Since debuting in 2004, the former Manchester United and Charlton defender has made 12 appearances for the US National Team.