Debate about the Three Lions’ striking options

As ever, the England squad has divided opinion among football fans in this country.

Debates are being raged over the inclusions of Harry Maguire, Kalvin Phillips and Jordan Henderson, while there’s also a debate about the Three Lions’ striking options right now.

Eddie Nketiah has earned his first senior call-up this time around, but there is an argument to make that Ollie Watkins deserved that spot ahead of Nketiah.

Speaking on talkSPORT 2, Adrian Clarke has now weighed in on the Watkins vs Nketiah debate, and he says that the Aston Villa man is actually better than the £100k-a-week Arsenal ace.

Watkins better than Nketiah

Clarke gave his verdict on the two strikers.

“I think his form has been very good this season. Based on form you can find a reason to put him in the squad. Is he as good as Ollie Watkins in the here and now? I’m not sure, Watkins is further down the line, so I’m surprised he’s not in the squad. Callum Wilson isn’t in the team at Newcastle, so there’s a gap there. Eddie can play a bit like Kane, he can hold the ball really nicely and drop into the pockets the way that Harry does. He’s 24, he’s not a kid,” Clarke said.

Tactical selection

Clarke is probably right, Watkins may well be the better player than Nketiah, but we can’t help but think that this is a tactical selection from Gareth Southgate.

Eddie Nketiah is also eligible to play for Ghana should he wish to, and with the striker showing so much promise this season, Southgate surely won’t want to lose the striker going forwards.

Selecting Nketiah this time is a sign of faith from Southgate, and it may well help secure the striker’s long-term international future, even if Watkins may have been a better option.