England manager Roy Hodgson has all but confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will be called up to the squad for the first time next month.
Kane has been a revelation since breaking into the Spurs starting XI this season, hitting 23 goals in all competitions, including a match-winning brace in the North London derby against Arsenal last weekend.
The 21-year-old's form saw him heavily tipped for a place in Hodgson's squad to face Lithuania and Italy next month, but the England boss warned that Kane would still have to prove himself at international level if he is to regularly start ahead of Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck.
"Is he worth a place in the squad now? Of course he is. We bought a lot of young players in during my time, we had Saido Berahino in the last squad. He certainly deserves a place in the squad as much as say Saido did," Hodgson is quoted as saying by PA.
"Is he worthy of a place like Wayne Rooney, Welbeck and Sturridge? That's something he'll have to prove. But unless I give him a chance in the squad he'll never get a chance to prove that anyway.
"I like to think I do show a certain degree of loyalty to players who have been playing for a while and who I know I can trust. But I also like to think that I'm prepared to give someone a chance when he's really showing with his current form that he's worthy of a place with us."
Kane has scored eight goals in 10 matches for England Under-21s.
Barney Corkhill
