Cowell 'involved in World Cup anthem'

Simon Cowell has reportedly expressed an interest in England's official World Cup anthem.

The X Factor judge told the Football Association that he would like one of his acts to perform the song, the News of the World claims.

An FA source said: "There's great optimism for the England team after the stunning way in which they qualified for the World Cup. The plan is for the official song to be an absolute show-stopper that will help carry the boys all the way to the final.

"Clearly, Simon Cowell's involvement would pretty much guarantee chart success. He's expressed a real interest in getting one of his biggest acts on board and it is being considered very seriously."

The insider explained that Leona Lewis and JLS were the most likely candidates to perform the song, while Susan Boyle was said to be a possibility even though she is Scottish.

"The FA wants the soundtrack to South Africa 2010 to get the whole country singing," the source said. "They're planning for success in the charts and the tournament."