Do England have a striker shortage? The underwhelming options behind Harry Kane
England may have one of the best strikers in the world but it would appear they are a couple of ankle twists away from being seriously exposed up top.
Harry Kane’s scoring delights of recent years have meant successive England managers have not had to be too concerned about the number nine spot but the Bayern Munich talisman is 32 now and there is a real lack of obvious candidates to take over once he hangs up his boots.
While the likes of Marcus Rashford are playing abroad, this season, just seven English strikers have played in the Premier League and here’s how we rank them:
7. Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Someone was always going to have to be last and with apologies to the new Leeds striker, it’s Calvert-Lewin.
Injuries have undoubtedly hampered his career but even before them, he was never exactly a lethal striker. His season best of 21 goals in 39 games in 2020/2021 was followed by five in 18 the next year and in the last four campaigns, he has failed to break into double digits at all.
In the summer, he moved to Elland Road but is underperforming his xG and at 28, his time with England looks to be very much over.
6. Eddie Nketiah
Nketiah fits neatly into the category of players you thought were much younger than they are and at 26, we really should be seeing the best of him now.
An early career at Arsenal suggested a bit of promise but it faded away and he left for Palace in the search of first-team football.
He got that at Palace with 29 games in the league but could only manage five goal involvements as Jean-Philippe Mateta put forward a far more compelling case to be the starting striker.
Having played for England in only one friendly, there is talk that he may consider a switch to Ghana ahead of AFCON.
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5. Callum Wilson
Add another name to the list of good finishers who can’t stay injury-free.
If Wilson was not so troubled by injuries, he may well still be at Newcastle but at 33 and with 29 games missed last season, the club wisely upgraded to Yoane Wissa.
With Wilson’s contract expiring in the summer, West Ham decided they quite fancied another striker to not flourish at the club so signed him as their number nine.
When he is fit, the former Bournemouth striker is a great finisher but those days are few and far between.
4. Dominic Solanke
Was the 19 goals in 38 league games he scored in the 2023/24 season the real Solanke or a flash in the pan? That is the question Spurs have been asking themselves after spending up to £65 million to bring him to north London.
After that big-money move, a knee injury ruled him out for 10 games and he has played just twice in the league this year, picking up an ankle problem.
Could he be one of the league’s best strikers when fully fit? Possibly, but it is not since he was playing for Bournemouth that we have seen that.
3. Liam Delap
A hamstring injury has prevented him from a flying start at Chelsea but Delap is the best young talent England have in the striking department.
A good season with Hull in the Championship earned him a move to Ipswich where he was one of few players to thrive in the Premier League.
Twelve goals for a promoted side put him in the shop window and with a release clause of £30m, Chelsea swooped in.
In an era of long throws being back, Delap may not have the launching technique of his father but the way he plays is reminiscent of yesteryear. Strong but pacey and with a penchant to smash into defenders just because he can, Delap could be an effective weapon for England in future years.
He has yet to be capped by the senior team but has played in every age group from the U16s to U21s.
He’s also really good at maths for some reason.
2. Danny Welbeck
It’s been six long years since Welbeck last put on an England shirt but the Brighton forward is making himself a candidate for a recall.
The former United striker is enjoying a late-career bloom at the Amex and bagged double-digit league goals for the first time last season, something we could have sworn he had already done.
It is not just sub appearances either with Welbeck having started four of seven league games this year and even topping Brighton’s scoring charts.
Playing into Welbeck’s favour is Thomas Tuchel’s short-term focus so while others may have preferred to give Delap tournament experience, Welbeck could find himself on the plane should England need another option up front.
1. Ollie Watkins
This season may have had a slow start but there can be no denying that Watkins is the best English striker not called Harry Kane right now.
Since moving to Villa in 2020, he has reached double digits for goals in every season and has six goals in 20 games for the national side.
He is not a perfect replacement for Kane with Watkins a more pacy and out-and-out striker but he is a competent replacement should he be called upon.
But as Jamie Vardy found out before him, Watkins is unfortunate to be playing in the same era as Kane and is only three years younger so may always find England opportunities to be limited.
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