MICHAEL Keane believes his club and international team-mate Danny Ings has what it takes to follow Harry Kane into the senior England squad.
Kane, who has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season, received his first call-up to Roy Hodgson’s side last week for the games against Lithuania and Italy, while Ings had to make do with a place in the Under-21 squad with Keane.
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But Keane, who recently lost his place in the Burnley side, has challenged Ings to hit the heights Kane has and earn himself a senior call.
“You look at him, Saido and Harry, they are all top quality players,” said the former Manchester United youngster.
“They have to look at Harry and what he’s doing and think ‘why can’t I do that myself?’ Both Ingsy and Saido are doing very well but there’s no reason they can’t get in that senior squad with him.
“There’s a lot of competition. Maybe Ingsy has been a bit unlucky that Harry has done so well, but fair play to him he has deserved his call-up. Maybe if Harry wasn’t playing so well Ingsy might have got his chance but I’m sure it will come.”
Kane has taken the Premier League by storm this season, having also scored eight goals in 10 U21 caps.
Keane has played with the Tottenham striker in most of those appearances for Gareth Southgate’s Young Lions, and when asked if he was surprised by Kane’s ascent this season, he said: “Yes and no. He’s always had the talent and the ability.
”I don’t think many people expected him to do what he’s done, but he’s always worked really hard.
“You see in training day in day out the ability he’s got and how good a finisher he is so I’m sure he will do well and step up to the plate and perform.”
Southgate’s U21 squad jetted out to the Czech Republic on Monday, where they will spend four days in Olomouc acclimatising ahead of this summer’s European Championships, with the side based in the same city for the eight team tournament.
They face the Czechs on Friday and then return to England to play Germany in Middlesbrough on Monday night as they continue preparations for that tournament.
“It will be two big tests for us, they are two teams that are also in the Euros so we’re playing against good opposition,” said Keane, who will hope to add to his 17 U21 caps.
“We’re staying in the same hotel that we're staying at in the summer, so it will be good to get used to our surroundings so when we go in the summer we are prepared and we know what to expect.
“Previously in the build-up to the European Championships we haven’t played against the toughest teams but games against the Czech Republic and Germany, and we recently played against France, are going to stand us in good stead so when we do come up against them in the real games we know what to expect.”
Keane admits there will be pressure on all members of the squad to perform in what are set to be the final friendly matches before the squad for the summer tournament is selected.
“There’s always pressure on,” he said. “Nobody is guaranteed to be in the squad in the summer.
“There are so many players the manager can pick from so when you go on these trips you have to play to your best and when you’re at your club you have to show what you can do.”
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