Dominic Solanke aiming to stay in England mix with impressive Spurs displays
Solanke made his first England appearance in seven years during the October camp.
Tottenham forward Dominic Solanke will aim to impress new England manager Thomas Tuchel if selected in Thursday’s national-team squad.
Tuchel was announced as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor last month, but current interim boss Lee Carsley will take charge of next week’s Nations League fixtures with Greece and Republic of Ireland before he hands over the reins.
Carsley gave Solanke a first England call-up in seven years for the October camp and the 27-year-old hopes to make his mark if included in Thursday’s squad, which falls on the same day as his club’s Europa League tie at Galatasaray.
“Since the last camp, we had the news that the new manager will be taking over. I’m not sure he’s going to be there, he’s going to be taking over from next year. That’s something to look forward to for the country,” Solanke said.
“On a personal note, I’d love to be there again (in the squad). I worked hard to get back there so it’s definitely an aim of mine to stay there.”
Solanke did his international chances no harm with an excellent brace during Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa last Sunday.
It ended a run of six games without a goal, but he retained the backing of head coach Ange Postecoglou, who insisted in the build-up to the visit of Villa that he “couldn’t be happier” with Solanke following his key role in the Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City.
Nevertheless, Solanke was thrilled to get back in the goals against Villa and reflected on his mindset for a superb chipped finish in the 75th minute which turned the clash in Spurs’ favour.
Solanke added: “It is just about staying right, staying sharp in your mind.
“You are always going to miss chances and sometimes you might not get chances, but it’s important to stick with it, especially being a striker. There will be a time when you do get the chance and you need to be ready for that.”
Solanke could be rested for Thursday’s match at Galatasaray after an intense physical effort over the last week, but the former Bournemouth player is ready to go if required, especially after fellow forward Richarlison suffered another hamstring injury.
“I feel great. Obviously we’ve got a lot of games this season which we want,” Solanke reflected.
“There’s a lot of competitions we want to do well in and go for, so we’re going to need everyone, but yeah, me personally, I’m quite a fit person.
“I like to work hard, so I think with the staff that we’ve got, everyone’s looking out for us and making sure we get right for each game. We’re thankful for that.”
