There’s a dearth of star quality in the centre-forward position for England, in the long-term picture.
Since the scores of world-class strikers England had at their disposal back in the 1990s all wound down in their careers – the Shearers, Fowlers, Ferdinands, Coles, Sheringhams and Wrights – the Three Lions have enjoyed fairly smooth handovers.
Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001, then Wayne Rooney emerged shortly afterwards – albeit with the dilemma of whether he’s an out-and-out centre-forward. Rooney’s decline corresponded neatly with the rise of Harry Kane in the mid-2010s.
After Kane, however, the progression plan isn’t quite so obvious.
Lack of clear succession
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Dominic Solanke are all 29 or 30, and unlikely to hit the same levels.
Calvert-Lewin is a functional target man but England aren’t likely to be a crossing-heavy side. Watkins and Toney are playing in Saudi Arabia, and Solanke’s big move to Tottenham Hotspur hasn’t quite worked out for him yet.
Marcus Rashford is now classed as a wide forward. Tammy Abraham and Eddie Nketiah haven’t quite lived up to early potential, while Callum Wilson and Danny Welbeck are veterans.
Then, there’s the debate around whether to operate with a false nine. Jude Bellingham would be nudged further up to incorporate an additional attacking midfielder from a plethora of enviable options. It’s one thing to do that with Spain, where the method is more commonly accepted. But there would likely be a lot of pushback with England.
That’s not to rule out the idea, but the unpopularity of it would make it a bigger commitment.
England’s striking options
For a long time, then, the most advanced candidate to be the long-term successor to Kane had been Liam Delap. But what’s Delap really proven in senior terms?
The 23-year-old began with difficult loans at Stoke City and Preston North End. He then grabbed a respectable eight goals with Hull City, before his best season, a 12-goal haul at Ipswich Town in the Premier League. However, Delap moved to Chelsea too soon with just a solitary strike to his name at Stamford Bridge.
Now, Delap is a terrific footballer. He has a delightful touch that can really unhinge games, and at 6’2” he generates real power in his legs. And he’s produced some great moments for Nottingham Forest this season. So there’s every chance he could develop into a world-class striker.
Yet without more evidence in terms of the big numbers, for now there’s a question mark. And it’s hard to make him the clear stand-out candidate to step up to Kane’s mantle.
Step up Will Lankshear
As such, there’s room for a late runner from the Championship. And Will Lankshear is having a wonderful time of things.
The former Tottenham youngster bagged 14 goals for a relegated Oxford United side that were often devoid of creativity last season. And it wasn’t just his finishing ability that endeared him to the Yellows faithful. It was his work ethic.
Lankshear is quick, he will hassle and harry defenders all game, and he’ll commit himself wholeheartedly to any team he played for. He pushed strongly with Tottenham to stay at the Kassam Stadium last season, when he’d have had bigger offers, just because he was desperate to finish the job.
The 21-year-old has translated that dedication to Middlesbrough, oozing creativity across the park, in the shape of Sebastian Berhalter, Callum Brittain, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Tommy Conway. Lankshear’s scored 13 goals in as many games on Teesside.
That baker’s dozen means Lankshear has scored the most goals in the division. And he’s also managed the most shots on target (25) and ranks sixth for shooting accuracy (73.53%) for strikers.
The Championship’s shooting stars
The big question, whether he can translate that form to the Premier League, remains.
Of the last 11 players to top score in the Championship, and then play in the top flight the following season, seven have been successes. Although Aleksandr Mitrovic counts for two of those.
There are examples, in Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, Danny Graham, Sammie Szmodics and Joel Piroe, of players who have subsequently struggled with the step up.
So, some would rightly point out that Lankshear has to prove he can do it in the promised land, before he really enters the England conversation.
Throwing it forward, however, I really do think we have somebody with the raw ingredients, to take on Kane’s baton, and fire England to world and European glory in future tournaments.