Euro 2020 Qualifiers: 4 reasons why Tammy Abraham should start for England

#4 It’d give Abraham vital experience should injuries occur

Abraham could be an alternative to Harry Kane if the Spurs man picks up an injury

Imagine for a moment this hypothetical situation: England continue to start every game with Harry Kane as the central striker whenever the Spurs hitman is available, and qualify for Euro 2020 with aplomb. The Three Lions then win their friendly matches in March with Kane continuing to score – but come April, disaster strikes and Kane’s ankle gives out again.

What would then happen? We’d likely get a media circus as we saw in 2002 and 2006 when then-key players David Beckham and Wayne Rooney faced a race against time to get fit for the two World Cup tournaments that lay on the horizon. But does that have to be the case? Most definitely not.

Essentially, Beckham and Rooney – although both were world-class players – had become indispensible to England not only due to their skills, but because then-manager Sven-Goran Eriksson had never looked at proper alternatives to them.

Gareth Southgate cannot allow himself to fall into this trap. With Jamie Vardy – England’s next-most experienced striker – now retired from international football and Marcus Rashford largely exposed as an inadequate central striker, it’s important that the Three Lions identify their main backup for Kane – likely Abraham – and get him some valuable international experience before it’s too late.

Starting Abraham in the two upcoming fixtures, and in March’s international friendlies – or at least giving him plenty of game time – should be paramount for Southgate just in case the worst does happen to Kane next summer. After all, when it comes to England, nobody wants history to repeat itself.