England's Harry Kane issue is about to rear its head and it must be solved

Harry Kane’s contract and World Cup comments have reignited a wider England concern: the limited pipeline of dependable successors at international level. After being eliminated by Argentina, the Bayern Munich striker said it was “too early to say” whether he will feature in the tournament marking the 100th anniversary of the World Cup. Kane, who has driven England’s recent tournament output with six goals at the 2018 World Cup and another six this summer, will be 36 by then. England manager Thomas Tuchel has faced scrutiny over his use of Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, with both still short of a consistent international breakthrough. Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were also left out of the North America plane. While Liam Delap earned a move to Chelsea after 12 league goals for Ipswich in 2024, he has yet to establish himself.