Dominic Solanke, the Tottenham Hotspur striker, has revealed his determination to return to the England national team after seven years since his debut. Solanke, 27, earned a call-up for the upcoming Nations League matches against Greece and Finland, led by interim manager Lee Carsley.
The striker has a framed England shirt from his only international appearance in 2017, a friendly against Brazil, which serves as motivation for him. “I’ve always thought, ‘When I get back there and win more caps for my country,’” Solanke stated. He emphasized his commitment to continuing to perform well and scoring goals to secure his position with the national squad.
This season, Solanke has already netted three goals for Spurs after joining from Bournemouth in a transfer worth up to £65 million in August. Following a successful season where he scored 21 goals with Bournemouth, he was disappointed not to be included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024 but has used that disappointment as motivation to push harder.
Solanke’s absence from international duty is surprising given his history with England’s youth teams, culminating in a victory at the under-20 World Cup in 2017, where he was awarded the Golden Ball. He attributes his resilience and mental strength to navigating the ups and downs of a career in football.
On the training front, England captain Harry Kane did not participate in the team practice on Tuesday due to a leg injury sustained in a recent match, although reports indicate he does not have a serious structural injury.
England currently stands second in Group B2 of the Nations League, trailing Greece on goal difference. The team will host Greece at Wembley on Thursday before traveling to Finland for their next match.