Shortage of top England forwards is so striking, insists Shearer
ALAN Shearer has labelled Jermain Defoe’s England recall at the age of 34 an ‘embarrassment’ - because it exposes the ‘dearth of talent’ available to boss Gareth Southgate.
Sunderland hotshot Defoe scored on his return in yesterday’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley, more than three years after he last wore the Three Lions shirt.
With Spurs’ Harry Kane and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney injured, former Newcastle United and England skipper Shearer insists Defoe - who has scored more Premier League goals this season than any other Englishman aside from Kane - deserved his call-up.
Yet he says it shows just how shallow the pool of English strikers playing at the top level is.
Shearer said: “Look at the team against Lithuania and they will not be troubling anyone of any note next summer, even with Harry Kane back in.
“It is an embarrassment Gareth had to call upon a 34-year-old who has not played for England in four years to play the striker’s role. This is not a slight on Jermain Defoe.
“He deserved his recall and showed why at Wembley with his goal but where are the other England strikers?
“In my day we had myself, Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler, Ian Wright, Chris Sutton, Stan Collymore, Matt Le Tissier, David Hirst - the list seemed endless. “There is a dearth of talent and it is a major concern.” Shearer made his England debut in 1992 and went on to score 30 goals in 63 games for his country before retiring from international football in 2000. Defoe’s senior England career began in 2004.