Having netted 23 times already this season in all competitions, Tottenham’s young front man Harry Kane is the name on everyone’s lips. But does he have the all-round game necessary to feature in his nation’s international setup?
The short answer… Yes.
In an age where the likes of Jack Colback and Fabien Delph are capped for England and Tom Cleverley has taken the field for the Three Lions on 13 occasions, who’s to say what level of talent Roy Hodgson deems necessary to make his prestigious squad.
However, Kane happens to play striker, perhaps the position in which England boast the most star power, with players such as captain Wayne Rooney, Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge as well as the much favoured, although no one really knows why, Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck.
Based on current form there is no denying that the man with the best nickname in football, ‘Hurricane’, should be the first name on the team sheet, having equalled Charlie Austin as the Premier League’s leading English scorer for the 2014-15 campaign, scoring goals against much fancied oppositions such as Liverpool and doubles against both Chelsea and Arsenal.
However, has his whirlwind form been enough to dislodge England regulars Rooney and Sturridge? Well, given the fact that Sturridge has missed numerous months of football due to an injury layoff, that’s one big tick. Kane has notched 13 times already this campaign, that’s 5 more than Manchester United’s Rooney, who’s an automatic pick as the captain of England. Easily outscore your national team’s captain domestically, another big tick for ‘Arry.
England’s next fixture is a Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley on March 27 – not for roughly six weeks, in which time Kane will take the field for Tottenham Hotspur against West Ham, Swansea, QPR, Manchester United and Leicester. Should he continue his current form he basically leaves Roy Hodgson no choice but to not only pick him in the squad and possibly earn his first start for his nation.
Hodgson was in the stands for Kane’s match-winning double in the North London derby at White Hart Lane, and he must have liked what he saw. It was a match which showed Kane can perform in a big-game situation, yet another tick for the Vol-Kane-O.
Regardless of how many ridiculous nicknames you afford him, Harry Kane is the in-form striker in the country, and to be honest he’s well up there in the entirety of Europe.
Barring injury or a sharp change in form, Kane should take his place in the England side against Lithuania at the end of March. The ball is in your court, Roy.
SM
Guest
I've always got a soft spot for gormless footballers who don't look like they're quality but actually turn out to be rather good. Hopefully Kane kicks on with his early promise, and becomes England's number nine. I wish him well in his career.
Adam
Guest
Kane will definitely be in the squad, too early in his career to go overboard on his true quality. A few months form don't make a career, very promising though. Harsh to question Welbeck's performances for England, always performs much better for the national team than for his club
Swampy
Guest
Harry Kane has had a much different start to his career - despite being an England rep at every age he hadn't really secured his EPL spot at Spurs until the end of last season. He was bounced about on loans even down to League One. He's been around quite a while now. Time will tell I guess - I thought the same thing as you when I started hearing about Kane but then I watched a few games and saw someone who was far more grown up than I expected. He's very different to those you say you worry about like Wiltshere and I'd add Raheem Stirling & Ross Barkly. Very hyped straight off the bat and loads of media attention while teenagers. Not to forget Wiltshere is a complete knob.
AZ_RBB
Guest
I get scared every time someone like Harry Kane comes through the ranks. I always fear that he'll be another enormously talented and similarly hyped player who ends up buckling to the intense media scrutiny and fizzes out to become another semi decent but less than remarkable EPL regular. Jack Wilshere is another that worries me. Such immense technical ability but I can't help but feel that he'll never reach that potential.
Swampy
Guest
Have you people watched Harry Kane play? The guy is a revelation. He has played half a season and is just about, not quite but just about the best English player currently in the EPL (which by default would make him the best English player as they pretty much have no one playing outside of England and Micah Richards doesn't count). He's actually winning games on his own - creating goals out of nothing. Rooney hasn't done that sort of thing for years and it isn't really clear if Sturridge is back to full fitness and on par with his form from last season. Historically England love to play with a big brute forward so I can't see how they could possibly ignore Kane as a potential starter. If anything he would bring much more balance to their attack which when you look at it is a little on the physically small and weak side. Kane has shown he is not just a big brute though (Speaking of brutes - Andy Carroll should also be in consideration - a late weapon off the bench) and has bloody good foot skills and positional awareness. I'm not a Spurs fan and I'm not English but if I was either I would be getting genuinely excited about Harry Kane. He's a bright light shining where the English felt things would be getting very dark with the NT.
Vas Venkatramani
Roar Guru
Based on the current state of play in English football, this should be their squad of 23 for Euro 2016 (3 goalies, 8 defenders, 8 midfielders, 4 forward): GKs Hart Foster Forster Defenders Cahill Baines Flanagan Stones Clyne Chambers Jones Smalling Midfielders Barkley Sterling Milner Henderson Lallana Walcott Wilshere Oxlade-Chamberlain Forwards Rooney Kane Sturridge Welbeck Best team (4-1-3-2) Hart Chambers Stones Cahill Baines Milner Henderson Rooney Barkley Sterling Sturridge
Isaac Nowroozi
Roar Guru
The kid is a freak. He should be put in the squad, give him as much international experience as possible.
Alex Stephens
Roar Rookie
It is a real problem for Hodgson. England have issues across all 4 defensive positions, central midfield and - although to a lesser extent - wingers. Two positions particularly strong are strikers/the 'number 10' role. If Roy is to play a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond formation then there still seems to be a surplus of talent at the sharp end of the field. Sturridge, Rooney and Kane can play as the two strikers with Austin, Carroll, Welbeck (gulp) and Ings as squad members. If he plays Kane and Sturridge then Rooney can possibly drop back to play 10, then that would leave Sterling without a position which is unimaginable. This also fails to mention Ross Barkley who - I believe - can become international class if consistency improves. My team for the next international would be; 4-1-2-1-2 Hart Clyne, Cahill, Stones, Bertrand Carrick Wilshere, Henderson Sterling Sturridge, Rooney This does leave out Kane which is unfortunate yet i don't see him unseating Rooney (just yet). If Rooney wasn't captain then it might be a different story. Kane would come off the bench along with the pace of a Walcott or an Oxlade-Chamberlin and some guile of a Barkley. This is my team though and not what i expect Roy to put out! Don't be surprised to see Delph, Townsend, Welbeck and Phil Jones lining up in March!