Les Ferdinand has voiced significant concern over the scarcity of English striking talent in the Premier League, particularly as the World Cup approaches.
While England captain Harry Kane continues to excel as a prolific goalscorer for Bayern Munich, the top echelons of the Premier League’s scoring charts are predominantly occupied by overseas players.
Currently, Leeds’ Dominic Calvert-Lewin stands as the sole English player to reach double figures this season with 10 goals.
Ferdinand, a former England international himself, believes that Kane’s potential deputy for the upcoming tournament will likely be whoever manages to hit a purple patch of form in the final stages of the season.
Speaking to the Press Association, Ferdinand remarked on Kane: “At the moment he’s the exception to the rule in terms of churning goals out year in, year out.”
He added: “It’s who is the other they’re going to take. It’s a dilemma because I think any striker that has a period now where he’s scoring goals will have an opportunity to go to the World Cup.”
Ferdinand highlighted Calvert-Lewin’s recent form, noting that discussions around Danny Welbeck had “gone a bit quiet.”
He described the situation as “worrying”, stating: “That just shows you the lack of number nines there is in the country at the moment. It’s a worrying situation. People keep saying to me ‘how do you rectify it?’.”
He attributed this dearth to a lack of competition: “That level of competition’s not there anymore so that’s why I think there’s a dearth of talent coming through. You look around the squad and you think there’s strength in depth in most positions but one we haven’t is the centre-forwards.”
The former Newcastle and Tottenham striker, who sits 12th in the all-time Premier League scoring charts with 149 goals, was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in Manchester on Tuesday, coinciding with the anniversary of his first goal for England.
Despite his impressive club record, Ferdinand earned only 17 caps for his country, a testament to the intense competition for striking berths during his playing career in the 1990s and 2000s.
Reflecting on his era, the 59-year-old recalled: “Back in the day, the level of striker that was around: Mark Bright, Ian Wright, Teddy Sheringham, Alan Shearer, David Hirst, there were so many centre-forwards, number nines, and that was what we were traditionally known for.”
He acknowledged this competition likely “hindered” his England career, with talents like Stan Collymore, Robbie Fowler, and Andy Cole emerging.
“And these guys kept you on your toes, because if these guys were scoring at the weekend you felt, ‘well I have to score if I want to be mentioned in the same echelons as them’,” he explained, contrasting it with the modern trend of “a lot of teams playing with a false nine.”
Ferdinand joins over 200 other players, managers, and teams in the Hall of Fame, which celebrates significant impact and contribution to the sport.
He expressed his pride, saying: “To be recognised and held up in the Hall of Fame, it’s a really proud moment for me and my family.”
