Harry Kane Starts Alongside Surprising Arsenal Star, West Ham Ace And Relegation Threatened ‘Keeper In England’s In-Form XI

Here is who should be playing according to the stats.

England manager Roy Hodgson has heaped praise on in-form Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, suggesting that the youngster will be included in his next international squad.

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Kane has certainly been in fine touch this season, scoring 23 goals in all competitions so far and being named the Premier League Player of the Month for January.

So, with a little help from our friends at WhoScored, here is the statistically best Three Lions XI this campaign.

GK – Robert Green, QPR – 6.79 rating

Forget Manchester City and Southampton No.1s Joe Hart and Fraser Forster, according to the stats Hodgson should take a step back into the past and plump for Green between the sticks.

At 35-years-old the goalkeeper is hardly a choice for the future though and that gaffe against USA at the 2010 World Cup still haunts his international career.

RB – Nathaniel Clyne, Southampton – 7.23

Little argument here as Clyne has recently been installed as Hodgson’s preferred choice at right-back and it’s been some time coming with the other options either short on form, fitness, or both.

Liverpool’s Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker of Spurs are the closest candidates for competition to the 23-year-old and neither has been anywhere near as good as the Saints defender this term.

CB – Phil Jones, Manchester United – 7.48

According to WhoScored this 22-year-old is the best Red Devils player this season and actually when looking at the inconsistencies of Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and even Wayne Rooney, that is perhaps not such a ludicrous assessment.

Jones has struggled with injury though – limiting him to 14 league appearances – but when playing the defender has looked solid in a fragile back line under Louis van Gaal.

CB – James Tomkins, West Ham United – 7.53

There is an argument that Tomkins has been better for the Hammers this campaign than Phil Jagielka has been for Everton, but to exclude Gary Cahill seems like madness when Chelsea have the best defence in the country – don’t shoot the messenger!

However, West Ham have undoubtedly been playing above expectations in 2014/15 and if Stewart Downing can return to the England setup against the odds then why can’t this centre-back force his way in as well.

LB – Leighton Baines, Everton – 7.22

Although the Toffees have struggled to recapture their impressive form of last term, Baines remains in pretty decent touch for Roberto Martinez’s side and has another two goals and eight assists from left-back.

The 29-year-old is also the undisputed first choice in the position since Ashley Cole’s international retirement, although Ryan Bertrand is not too far behined and Kieran Gibbs and Danny Rose remain candidates.

CM – Jordan Henderson, Liverpool – 7.20

Henderson is being groomed as Steven Gerrard’s long-term replacement as captain and all round Mr Liverpool as the 34-year-old prepares to jet off to LA Galaxy this summer and the midfielder is clearly taking this role seriously.

With two goals and six assists the 24-year-old is showing more of a presence in the final third and Brendan Rodgers has truly worked wonders with the former Sunderland man.

CM – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal – 7.14

Central midfield perhaps isn’t the first position that jumps to mind when concerning this youngster, but his brilliant display against Bayern Munich in last year’s Champions League suggests perhaps it could be the future for Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Until injuries started to disrupt his game time once again the 21-year-old was also Arsene Wenger’s most consistent player on the pitch this season and it’s easy to forget he is still so young.

RW – Raheem Sterling, Liverpool – 7.40

For both club and country this 20-year-old has generally been playing a little more centrally in recent times, but due to the players featuring in this team we’ve pushed him out to his more familiar right-wing role.

Sterling may not have been as explosive as last campaign so far, but with five goals and five assists in the league to date the forward is showing consistency.

CAM – Wayne Rooney, Manchester United – 7.39

Van Gaal has pushed his skipper into a deeper role this year and has taken much criticism as a result, which could go someway to explaining why Rooney has a relatively low goal haul of eight.

However, despite many saying the 29-year-old is waning in his later years the stats suggest a weakened Rooney is still better than the other options available to Hodgson – who incidentally thinks the United captain should be playing as a striker.

LW – Danny Welbeck, Arsenal – 7.41

When he first joined the Gunners from Old Trafford the 24-year-old was played as a striker, but that was in Olivier Giroud’s absence and in recent times Wenger has followed in the footsteps of those before him and pushed the attacker out wide.

Welbeck is guilty of being versatile and perhaps therefore doesn’t play as much as a No.9 as he would like, but there is no doubting the Mancunian’s record for his country is decent.

ST – Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur – 7.37

Who else to lead the line than the most talked about 21-year-old in English football, with Kane stepping up to fill the void left by the out-of-form Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado at White Hart Lane.

The starlet has 13 league goals and – as previously mentioned – 23 in all competitions and this is despite the fact there seems to be nothing specific that sets him apart from anyone else – other than he can score consistently of course.