Who should be the strikers in England’s next squad?

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been in red hot scoring form this season. Surely he deserves to be in the next England squad?

There has been much debate about England’s next squad for the internationals at the end of March and whether Tottenham’s Harry Kane will be in that squad.

The youngster has been in red hot form this season and prior to today’s game at QPR had scored 24 goals in all competitions.

Able

That is a pretty decent strike-rate for any striker, let alone a striker who is only really in his first season playing first team football for Spurs.

Kane looks able to produce at the top level and surely his exploits this season deserve to be rewarded with an England debut?

It seems like a no-brainer to me and probably most of the football observing public that Kane be included in the squad.

Others

However, Kane is not the only striking pretender for a place in the Three Lions squad to face Lithuania and Italy. There currently seems to be a batch of strikers who are currently staking a claim for a place in the next England squad. Here are a few of those players:

Charlie Austin (QPR)

Austin is the Premier League’s top English goalscorer this season with 15 goals (prior to today’s QPR vs. Tottenham game). The former non-league forward has certainly enjoyed his debut season in the Premier League and considering his team are struggling in the top-flight, he certainly is not.

At 25 years-old Austin is a latecomer to the top level, but has not taken much time to adjust to the top-flight. He was prolific in the lower leagues, but questions were asked about his ability to do it at the top level. I believe that 15 goals scored for a struggling team is a pretty definitive answer.

Saido Berahino (West Brom)

The West Brom youngster broke into the Baggies first team last season and has pushed on from there during this campaign. Berahino has scored 12 Premier League goals this season and 18 in all competitions this season.

The 21-year-old has now been linked with moves to the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham. Berahino is acknowledged as a talent youngster, but question marks have been placed over his attitude after comments in the press about moving away from the Midlands club.

Danny Ings (Burnley)

Just like Austin, Ings was relatively prolific in the lower leagues and made his top-flight debut this season. The 22-year-old has been the Clarets stand-out performer this season and has scored nine Premier League goals, also collecting four assists in the top-flight.

Ings is an intelligent footballer and certainly looks at home in the Premier League. Burnley’s future in the top-flight maybe in doubt, Ings however looks assured as his contract expires this summer and has been linked with a move to Liverpool.

It may be too soon for the striker to be called-up considering the striking options available to England boss Roy Hodgson, but Ings looks like he has a bright future ahead of him.

Usual

England’s usual suspect of strikers Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Rickie Lambert have not exactly had stellar seasons, for one reason or another.

England captain Wayne Rooney has spent a large amount of his time playing in midfield, but still has ten top-flight goals to his name. He will not be dropped from the squad, as he remains a big part of the Three Lions squad.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has endured a difficult campaign, mainly due to missing the majority of it through injury. The former-Chelsea star has scored just three goals in the top-flight this season, but has made just nine appearances, most which have come from the substitute bench.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has handled the striker’s fitness carefully, as he has suffered a number of different injury problems this season.

Danny Welbeck is a Roy Hodgson favourite and is in fact England’s top scorer in Euro 2016 qualifying with five goals. However, the Arsenal man has scored just four Premier League goals this season and has often been used out wide instead of his preferred position of central striker.

Welbeck’s versatility may just be a key factor in his selection for the next squad. Hodgson likes the former-United man and he will no doubt be included in the squad.

The player that is currently most likely to miss out is Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert. The former-Southampton man has found getting regular first team football a struggle at Anfield this season and has scored just twice.

To be fair to Lambert, the striker has started just five Premier League games this season, coming off the bench for cameos 14 times, but has made just one appearance in Liverpool’s last four games, when he came on as a late-sub against Burnley last time out.

Deserving

England’s qualification for Euro 2016 looks like a formality and maybe it is time for Roy Hodgson to test out some new striking options. The likes of Kane and Austin have been prolific in front of goal in the top-flight, so they deserve the chance to prove they have what it takes at international level.

Who should be the strikers in England’s next squad?