Sunday 8 May 2016 14:00, UK
Daniel Sturridge is the best striker in England and should start ahead of Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy at the European Championships, according to Sunday Supplement guest Antony Kastrinakis.
England manager Roy Hodgson names his 23-man squad on Thursday for the finals in France and he's expected to name Sturridge, Vardy, Kane, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck as his five strikers.
Hodgson has a tough task on his hands to pick who will start the first game against Russia on June 11, but Kastrinakis has the puzzle solved with Sturridge preferred over 25-goal Kane and 24-goal Vardy, whose goals fired Leicester City to a sensational Premier League title.
"If he's fit, he's [Sturridge] the best striker in England and one of the top 10 strikers in the world," The Sun's Kastrinakis said.
"If he's fit, his ability is such that Liverpool gain a dimension. They change dimension. They become a different team when Sturridge is fit. Look at last season when Brendan Rodgers was in charge, in the matches where Sturridge was fit, Liverpool were a completely different proposition - even without Luis Suarez.
"He is simply an outstanding talent, however, for Jurgen Klopp not to fancy him, it means there is a difference of opinion as a matter of his attitude. On ability alone, Sturridge would start for England - as should Wayne Rooney, who should always start for England."
Hodgson is also reportedly willing to name Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere in his squad despite him missing nearly all of this season with injury.
Wilshere had surgery on his left fibula in September and made his comeback as a substitute against Sunderland on 24 April, but remained on the bench in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Norwich City last weekend.
According to reports in The Telegraph, Hodgson will name Wilshere and allow him to build up his match fitness in friendly matches against Turkey, Australia and Portugal - a ploy that the Daily Mail's Martin Samuel completely agrees with.
"I would take him as he's such a good player," said Samuel.
"It's a gamble. I think in a 23-man squad you can have one gamble. I don't think Roy Hodgson is such a cavalier lunatic that he'll leave himself completely and utterly exposed. He'll tailor the squad so that if this game doesn't pay off, the squad will still be balanced.
"He's named enough international squads now to get that balance right. I think Wilshere it worth it but he is massively undercooked in terms of game-time over the last year."
