Danny Welbeck is “second to Harry Kane” in England striker ranks as Brighton star is backed to earn Thomas Tuchel call-up

Danny Welbeck has received the backing of Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler and former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand to earn a call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

The experienced striker may turn 35 next month, but he continues to defy his age and has remarkably scored more Premier League goals per game in his thirties (0.36) than he did earlier in his career during his twenties or teens.

After scoring 10 goals in 30 Premier League appearances for Brighton last season - his best ever scoring campaign to date - Welbeck has since found the net five times in his opening nine top-flight matches this term.

Only Erling Haaland (11), Antoine Semenyo and Igor Thiago (six each) have scored more Premier League goals this season that Welbeck, who recently netted doubles for Brighton in wins over Chelsea and Newcastle before scoring a superb free kick in last weekend’s 4-2 loss at former club Man United.

"I have the passion and love for football," Welbeck told BBC Match of the Day earlier this month. "It's what I want to do. I feel good. I feel strong and fit so I won't be stopping soon."

Hurzeler has “big belief” in Welbeck representing England

Welbeck’s impressive performances have not gone unnoticed by Brighton boss Hurzeler, who recently labelled his first-choice striker as a “top professional".

"Before and after training, he always tries to be prepared. He does a good recovery,” Hurzeler told reporters. "Every training session, he goes 100%. He never tries to rest.

“That's the main thing and, on top of that, if you have a good personality and lead by behaviour and performance, that's the main thing how to describe Danny Welbeck. He's always there. He's not a selfish personality - he's always there for his teammates."

Welbeck’s recent form has led to suggestions that the striker could be considered by England boss Tuchel for an international call-up ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania in November.

"I just asked the question to the squad whether Danny Welbeck can play for England and they all agreed [he can],” Hurzeler said at a press conference on Friday. “That was the only time we've mentioned it. Let's see what happens.

"I'm very convinced for my players and I have a big belief that Danny will be able to play for England, but I always try to emphasise that England has a great coach and he will make the right decisions. Let's see."

Where does Welbeck rank among Tuchel’s England strikers?

Welbeck has also been backed to earn a call-up by former England defender Ferdinand, who played with the striker during his time at Man United between 2008 and 2014.

The likes of Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Ivan Toney have all been battling for a place up front for England whenever captain Harry Kane has not been involved in recent years, but Ferdinand believes that Welbeck should now be considered as the Three Lions’ second-best striker behind the Bayern Munich star.

“[Welbeck is] second to Harry Kane,’ Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents. “If you’re talking form right now and the squad was being picked tomorrow, Danny Welbeck has to go, no?

“Experience, can do different types of things on the pitch for you, he can run in behind if need be, we saw that at Old Trafford, he can come short and link play as well as anybody outside of Harry Kane, He’s an all-round footballer, if it wasn’t for the injuries he had earlier in his career.

“I would take him. If he finishes the season in the form he’s in right now, there’s no way you can’t take him because he’s only going there for a month, it isn’t like we’re saying to him he has to play a full season, you’ve got to be ready and that role he can do that, coming in and out, be a support act for someone like Harry Kane.”

Since and including his international debut in 2011, Welbeck has 42 England caps to his name and 16 goals, but he has not represented the Three Lions since 2018 and will hope to earn a call-up by Tuchel when he announces his latest squad next week.