Harry Kane keen on Under-21 duty: Hodgson

Harry Kane

London: Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane is determined to play for England at this year's Under-21 European Championship, national coach Roy Hodgson said in comments published by British newspapers on Thursday.


Harry Kane. Pic/Santa Banta

Kane, 21, made his senior England debut last week, scoring 80 seconds after coming on in a 4-0 win over Lithuania, before making his full debut in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Italy in Turin. Spurs are wary of over-burdening a player who has scored 29 goals this season, but Kane has played a key role in the England Under-21s' qualifying campaign and Hodgson says he is eager to go to the Czech Republic in June. "Harry wants to go with the Under-21s," Hodgson said.

"He wants to finish the job that he has done. He has been a major part of their qualifying campaign for the last 18 months. "He's had to work his way into the team and in my conversations with him it has been pretty obvious to me he would like to play in this tournament." Hodgson added: "I've got to say, I'm not a great lover of the burn-out argument. "If you want to be an international player then you've got to accept football tournaments take place in the summer at the end of the season."

Kane already has one post-season commitment on his agenda, with Tottenham due to travel to Australia for a friendly game against Sydney FC on May 30. But Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino suggested that his club were relaxed about the prospect of Kane being called up by England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate.

"We want to help the national team, the player and in this case, we always have a very good relationship," Pochettino told a press conference on Thursday. "We need to share the decision. The first (consideration) is the player, the FA and us. "There are a lot of things to discuss with the FA, with Gareth Southgate, with us, but always we try to find the best for the player, and for the national team and what is logical for Tottenham."