Roy Hodgson will announce his England side tomorrow for the upcoming European Championships qualifier against Lithuania and friendly versus Italy.
The hot talking point in the lead up to this announcement is who Hodgson will pick as his strikers. With some of the established names struggling for fitness and form, it could open the doors up for a number of new faces. Linc Sport’s Adam Tomlinson, Luke Vials,Nathan Hilland Ryan Hall debate who they would call-up.
Option One: Wayne Rooney
Selected by: Adam Tomlinson, Ryan Hall, Nathan Hill & Luke Vials
Ryan Hall: The Manchester United man is closing in on Lineker’s 48 England goals and is just three strikes away from being England’s all time record goal scorer. He’s our captain, he’s easily one of the most important players in the side and he has to be in the squad.
Adam Tomlinson: He will always be selected, he’s England’s captain and a leader on the pitch. Many people have questioned his best position but for me, he’s the best upfront. The goal he scored against Tottenham looked like the Rooney of old and I’m sure he will continue to score goals for England.
Option Two: Daniel Sturridge
Selected by: Adam Tomlinson, Ryan Hall, Nathan Hill & Luke Vials
Nathan Hill: The best striker we’ve got. As simple as that. Although he hasn’t fully rediscovered his form yet since coming back from injury, he is still undoubtedly a major threat for opposition defences.
Luke Vials: Last season’s golden boot runner up has been injured for the majority of this campaign but is still England’s best option upfront. He is still rusty from that long spell on the side-lines but has started scoring again for Liverpool and is showing signs of getting back to his best. His link up-play with Sterling could be vital for both club and country.
Adam Tomlinson: Even though he’s just come back from injury, he is arguably England’s best striker. Although he hasn’t rediscovered his goal scoring form from before his injury, he has the ability to create a goal out of nothing and is a threat to any defence.
Option Three: Harry Kane
Selected by: Adam Tomlinson, Ryan Hall, Nathan Hill & Luke Vials
Nathan Hill: Everything he’s touched has turned to gold this season and it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue this form next season. He definitely has huge potential though and, when I’ve watched him this season, it’s difficult to argue with those comparing him to Alan Shearer and particularly Teddy Sheringham.
Luke Vials: Kane has been simply sensational for Tottenham this season and has rescued many points in the dying stages for the North London club. Comparisons have been drawn to Alan Shearer and whilst Kane has a long way to go before emulating the legendary Geordies success, he surely has to be in Hodgson’s plans.
Option Four: Danny Welbeck
Selected by: Adam Tomlinson, Ryan Hall, Nathan Hill & Luke Vials
Ryan Hall: He hasn’t exactly created shockwaves at the Emirates since joining from United in the Summer, but he always seems to perform for England. He’s got great pace, works the channels well and is a great player to bring off the bench.
Adam Tomlinson: His form and goal scoring record for England has been excellent. When he was playing upfront for Arsenal before Giroud returned from injury he was in good form, but since then he hasn’t managed to make much of an impact. He offers the side great pace and has the ability to make an instant impact. He is also England top scorer in these Euro Qualifiers.
Option five: Austin or Berahino?
Charlie Austin:
Selected by Nathan Hill
Nathan Hill: Players should be picked on form and as Austin is the top English goal scorer in the Premier League, he unquestionably deserves a call up. The fact that he has achieved that feat whilst playing in a struggling QPR outfit makes his fifteen goal tally all the more impressive.
Saido Berahino:
Selected by Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall: My wildcard choice is West Brom’s Berahino. His bad attitude has been well-documented, but the talent he shows on the pitch is beyond doubt. He scored a hat-full of goals for the Under 21s and, for me, is ready to make the step up, provided he’s nurtured properly.
Do you agree with the boys? Let us know on out Twitter page @LincSport or by using the hashtag #LincSportTalks