England are in need of some quality striking options ahead of the next set of qualifiers…
One of the biggest talking points in football at the moment is who the England national team should be selecting up front. After all, the Three Lions arguably only have three established options in attack – Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck.
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And with Sturridge having missed almost the entire season though injury, and with Rooney and Welbeck primarily playing out of position – either behind a central figure or out wide – there is seemingly a lack of out and out centre forwards for Roy Hodgson to pick from.
But with Euro 2016 qualification already close to being secured after four successive victories, surely now is the time to experiment with some different options in competitive fixtures.
Here are the top ten candidates to join Rooney, Sturridge and Welbeck – assuming all three are fit – on the plane to France next year:
10) Patrick Bamford (Chelsea)
A surprise candidate, or an indication to the depth in strikers this country has? Either way, the 21-year-old Chelsea prospect has proved he has plenty of potential, and has enjoyed successful loan spells in the Championship.
9) Connor Wickham (Sunderland)
Needs to find more consistency if he is to be a serious candidate. Looked to have kicked on toward the back end of last season, when he helped fire Sunderland to Premier League safety, but has just two league goals this term.
8) Peter Crouch (Stoke City)
Why not? There aren’t many better big men in English football, and with 22 in 42 he has one of the better goal-to-game ratios in recent national team history. Has five goals in all competitions so far this season.
7) Jermain Defoe (Sunderland)
Any striker that costs £14m should be in England contention surely. Like Crouch, Defoe’s goal record for the national team – which stands at 19 in 55 – is impressive, and if he can prove himself for Sunderland, he’s not beyond a recall.
6) Rickie Lambert (Liverpool)
Still the current choice in Roy Hodgson’s mind, and has done little wrong with three goals already in an England shirt. But at 32, he’s not a long-term option, and hopefully potential replacements are already being discussed.
5) Danny Ings (Burnley)
His performances have gone somewhat unnoticed this season, with England fans transfixed on some of the names further on in this list, but the 22-year-old has been quietly efficient this term, scoring seven times.
4) Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion)
The youngster was included in Roy Hodgson’s last England squad, but failed to get off the bench. After a barren spell between November and December, he’s rediscovered his touch this month, and now has 14 goals for the season.
3) Andy Carroll (West Ham United)
The former Liverpool man has returned from injury to make a positive impact for the Hammers in recent weeks. He’s scored four times in 12 games so far this season, and there is no one really like him in terms of a powerful target man at Hodgson’s disposal.
2) Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers)
The top scoring Englishman in the Premier League so far this season, his goals will likely prove the difference between Rangers staying up and going down. He has 13 so far this season, including strikes against Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea.
1) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Kane has already found the net 17 times this season in all competitions, and has got seven of those in the last nine games. A big man, but with plenty of pace as well, the youngster has endless potential, and will want to kick on.
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