England's centre-forward options - ranked

There was a time when England possessed an absolute embarrassment of riches in the centre-forward department.

Nowadays, the pool of strikers at Gareth Southgate's disposal isn't as deep as it once was, but that's not to say there aren't some quality operators vying for a place in the Three Lions squad.

Here's the options at England's disposal on the road to Euro 2024.

7. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The Everton forward had a very good chance of being an option chosen by Southgate for the 2022 World Cup but injuries meant he couldn’t put together an impressive enough run of form.

Calvert-Lewin's fitness remains uncertain, nudging him down the list of striking candidates. Even when fit this season, he just isn't scoring enough goals to move ahead of others on this list.

6. Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah's status as the all-time leading scorer for England's Under-21s doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence. While the likes of Alan Shearer (13) and Frank Lampard (nine) blossomed into seasoned senior internationals, Francis Jeffers and Saido Berahino both broke double digits at youth level.

A traditional penalty-box poacher, Nketiah has clear limitations but hasn't looked entirely out of place while regularly filling in for Arsenal's injury-prone Gabriel Jesus.

The issue is that he just does not play enough football to warrant a place at Euro 2024 right now. His last Premier League goal came when he got a hat-trick against Sheffield United in late-October 2023.

5. Callum Wilson

A perennial injury concern, Callum Wilson's rotation with Alexander Isak at Newcastle United ensures that the prolific centre-forward isn't overworked at club level.

The fact that Wilson cannot be relied upon from a physical standpoint, something Newcastle are finding out this season, could mean that Southgate has to look elsewhere. He may not even play again this season, which makes a Euro 2024 trip seem unlikely.

4. Dominic Solanke

To put into context how long ago Dominic Solanke's England debut was, he replaced Jamie Vardy. Across the subsequent six years, Solanke has not returned to Southgate's plans but may have nudged his name into the conversation at least.

It took Solanke just 12 games of the new season to match his entire Premier League goal tally (six) from the previous campaign.

Thriving at the sharp end of Andoni Iraola's high-pressing Bournemouth team, Solanke's newfound end product is underpinned by boundless energy. He is on 15 league goals for the season at the time of writing and if he can get up towards 20, Southgate will have to take him very seriously. The fitness of Wilson means he is probably in a better position than the Newcastle man now.

3. Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney claimed that the FA's betting probe was timed to prevent him from joining Southgate's World Cup squad. "Someone was out to get me," he insisted.

The Brentford striker was only outscored by Harry Kane and Erling Haaland in the Premier League last season. Yet, he only returned to action in January 2024. If Toney is looking for past precedent, Paolo Rossi famously returned from a two-year ban on the eve of the 1982 World Cup and fired Italy to the title.

Toney does not have long to make an impact, but he has scored a goal in three of the first four games he played after returning. He now hasn't scored in the last five despite playing the whole of each game. He made the March squad which is progress.

2. Ollie Watkins

It seems ridiculous to think that just five years ago Watkins was playing in England's fourth tier.

The Aston Villa man has moved through the divisions with ease and still hasn't found his ceiling as Unai Emery leads the sleeping Midlands giants into European competition.

Earlier this year, Watkins fretted: "I think I go under the radar, maybe. I don’t know if I'm not talked about enough, profile-wise." If he continues to shine at club level, Watkins' name will be on Southgate's lips this summer.

He has 22 goals and 10 assists across all competitions so he should be the frontrunner to deputise for Harry Kane. That many assists for a striker is impressive and shows another element of his game.

1. Harry Kane

Now we get to the player so far clear of the rest of his competitors that it's a little bit ridiculous.

As his Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel is so keen to point out, Kane is England's captain and entirely undroppable.

He's one of the best players in the world and the nation's all-time top scorer, who will add many more goals to his tally if he stays fit.

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