England: Emile Heskey worried about the source of the next Three Lions forward

Emile Heskey feels it is difficult to see where the next main England striker comes from, following the decline of the traditional number nine in recent years.

Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane was the only out-and-out striker named in Thomas Tuchel’s 25-man squad for this week’s World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

While some potential options are missing through either injury or being rested, it has provided a stark reminder of how reliant England remain on 32-year-old Kane.

Former Liverpool and Leicester striker Heskey – who made 62 appearances for England from 1999 until 2010 – feels it always used to be clear who the next leading number nine for the Three Lions would be, but feels that is no longer the case.

«We’ve been lucky over the years we could see where the next strikers were coming,» Heskey said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

«We had a chain of players who could go from that next level, I came in after [Alan] Shearer and Rooney came after me, but where do we look now?

«We always had that chain but we are struggling to find [the next one] now.»

Just eight English strikers have appeared in the Premier League this season and 22-year-old Chelsea striker Liam Delap is the only one under the age of 26.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins performed well as deputy to Kane at Euro 2024, with his semi-final goal helping England reach the final.

However, he has been rested from this squad to manage an ongoing issue.

Rooney said: «We talk about how many games players are playing now. We had an opportunity where we don’t need to see Kane, and rest him.

«Kane shouldn’t play for England again until the World Cup. We don’t need to see him, we know what he can do.»

Both Rooney and Heskey feel the apparent lack of out-and-out number nines coming through is a sign of the way the game has gone, not just in England but globally.

«I just think it is purely because they don’t want to play number nines now with the way the game is,» Rooney said.

«If you look worldwide there’s not many number nines, so it is not just England.»

He added: «Everyone wants to be a Mo Salah or a Lionel Messi, and playing as a forward now you don’t touch the ball as much – and you have to be ruthless like Erling Haaland is and Kylian Mbappe.

«There are no number nines out there, even Kane isn’t an out and out nine.»

Heskey’s sons, Reigan and Jaden, are forwards themselves and made their first-team debuts for Manchester City in September, in the Carabao Cup.

Heskey, 47, added: «Forwards had to be so much more involved when we were playing. You’d have to chase things into the channel, you’d have to win the flick-ons.

«Now your two number eights are doing more, your wingers are quite wide, you don’t have to get involved as much now.»

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds