Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke expressed confidence after receiving his first England call-up in nearly seven years. The 27-year-old forward had previously made a brief appearance under Gareth Southgate‘s management during a friendly against Brazil in November 2017. Despite an impressive performance, Solanke was not called up again as he struggled for playing time at Liverpool.
After spending five and a half successful years at Bournemouth, Solanke joined Tottenham over the summer in a deal that could be worth up to £65m, potentially setting a club record. Although he was sidelined with an ankle injury before the international break in September, he has been included in Lee Carsley’s squad for this month’s UEFA Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Solanke stated that he has come a long way since his last England call-up and feels confident due to his increased playing time and experience. He assured that if given the opportunity, he will be ready to perform.
Solanke made his debut for England at just 20 years old when he replaced Jamie Vardy during the match against Brazil. Despite having represented England’s under-age national teams on 56 occasions prior to his senior call-up, Solanke had never started a Premier League game until recently.
Since his premature debut for England, Solanke has gained extensive top-flight experience and scored numerous goals. He believes that mentally and physically, he is now in a better place than before.
Harry Kane has been England’s primary striker since 2015 but is currently managing an injury sustained while playing for Bayern Munich. If Carsley decides to rest Kane during either fixture against Greece or Finland, Solanke could serve as an excellent replacement.
Solanke praised Kane as an exceptional striker and someone whom he looks up to as a great player. This influence is evident in Solanke’s evolving style of play where he drops back more frequently than Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who is also part of this month’s England squad. In Tottenham’s recent defeat against Brighton, both of their goals were orchestrated by Solanke.
The forward emphasized that he has learned and developed significantly over time and now finds himself in a much-improved position both personally and professionally.