Instead, the Manchester United striker's main impact during a mind-numbing 0-0 draw in Euro 2012 qualifying was on the ankles of Elsad Zverotic when England's supposed goal threat was chasing back deep into his own half.
It was an incident that typified a performance that once again turned the spotlight on coach Fabio Capello.
After encouraging Group E wins against Bulgaria and Switzerland the dark cloud of a wasted World Cup in South Africa was beginning to lift over the highly-paid Italian but the media wolves were snapping at his heels again in Wednesday's newspapers after a dismal performance.
Unable to score the early goal that helped instil some energy and belief against Bulgaria and Switzerland, England's players quickly ran out of ideas against a limited but hard-working and disciplined Montenegro side.
In Capello's defence, he had a long injury list with strikers Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent and wingers Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon all missing but then Montengero were also without their best player Mirko Vucinic.
Capello's verdict on England's display was simplistic.
"It is not easy to play against teams like this who defend very well and are difficult to beat," he said afterwards.
Particularly when the talisman Steven Gerrard spent almost the entire game nowhere near the Montengero box and Capello's Plan B was to send on Kevin Davies for his international debut.
Liverpool's Joe Cole was in the squad, a player tailor-made for unpicking defences, yet was overlooked. Arsenal youngsters Jack Wilshere, another player with a sharp football brain, was also ignored as England laboured.
The Chelsea left back was again one of the few players that looked capable of playing in any national team in the world as he equalled Kenny Sansom's appearance record for a full-back.
