After scoring a brace of goals to give Tottenham Hotspur their first win in the North London derby since March 2013, striker Harry Kane has now entered the limelight of English Football. But should he be picked for England by manager Roy Hodgson?
Kane scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the season in a breathtaking second half spell on Saturday February 8 at White Hart Lane to give Spurs a victory which had seemed likely when Mesut Ozil gave Arsenal an early lead.
Kane told BBC Sport after the game: “It’s my first north London derby and it was incredible. I watched so many as a kid and the feeling now is one I can’t describe and won’t forget. I’m happy for the team and the club. It is a special day.
“I am working on all aspects of my game and when I get in those areas I am confident. I am enjoying my football at the moment and playing with a smile on my face.”
With Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney being announced as the new England captain last year, Kane has fierce competition to make the next England squad which will be for a friendly against Italy in March. Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge has earned his right to reclaim his spot in the squad despite his latest injuries. The final two spots are completely up for grabs.
QPR’s Charlie Austin has been another revelation in the Premier League this season as he has scored 13 goals in just 19 games for the struggling west Londoners. Sunderland’s new January signing Jermaine Defoe is back in the picture after producing on his return to the top-flight of English football. Liverpool’s Rickie Lambert has not done much wrong in an England shirt while Danny Ings at Burnley has proved his worth as well this season in a similar vein to Kane and Austin.
The 21-year-old has been prolific this season. He’s scored 22 goals in 34 games as he has finally broken into Mauricio Pochettino’s first team. Kane scored his first professional hat-trick in a 5-1 win against Asteras Tripoli in the Europa League in October. He has also pushed his name into conversation for an England call-up after scoring a winner against Aston Villa in November, and starring in a 5-3 victory over League leaders Chelsea in which he scored twice. Kane has represented from Under-17 level right through to Gareth Southgate’s Under-21s.
Ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy said on Match of the Day that Kane should be the centre piece of Hodgson’s England side: “Not just selected, but build the team around him. He’s so young, but he’s so powerful. I’m struggling to see a weakness in the lad’s game”.
Kane went onto add in his post match interview. “It [the next England game] is not until March and there is a lot of football to play before then. I have just got to keep doing what I am doing and do my best for the team, and we will see what happens.”
With Hodgson’s squad announcement coming up in the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see whether Kane’s performances have done enough to convince the England boss and earn him his first call-up to represent the Three Lions.
Featured image – Flickr: Kurt