Ex-England international striker Alan Smith has insisted that Tammy Abraham is breathing down the neck of Harry Kane having earned his first England call-up since 2017, as per the Evening Standard.
The 22-year-old striker leads the Premier League Golden Boot race with eight goals to his name as he relishes the opportunity under Frank Lampard.
Abraham found the net 26 times in 40 appearances for Aston Villa last season helping Dean Smith’s side climb into the Premier League.
Upon return to South West London, Abraham has continued to pulsate in his rich vein of form turning the heads of many.
‘Kane should watch out’
The former England striker and Sky Sports commentator revealed that Kane should not be complacent over his place at England’s striker in light of Abraham’s rise.
The England captain has scored just five goals in eight Premier League games in comparison to Abraham’s eight which included an impressive hattrick against Wolves.
“Abraham stands as a genuine alternative to Harry Kane for England,” Alan Smith claimed.
“Something which has never happened since the current England captain became top dog. Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Callum Wilson: none could seriously be described as an authentic rival. Abraham, on the other hand, has the game to go one better.
“He is a long way off at the moment, having only just made a mark at Stamford Bridge. Abraham’s a baby compared to Kane — very much a grown-up for club and country.
“But if the young Londoner keeps improving at the present rate, his senior counterpart might start glancing over his shoulder.”
‘Abraham will have learned a lot alongside Kane’
Abraham’s fantastic start to the season earned him his first call-up to the England team since 2017 where the forward featured off the bench in a 0-0 draw against Germany.
Smith declared that the Blues number nine will have learned a great deal having trained alongside Kane over the international period.
“Abraham would surely have learned a great deal this week from training with England’s captain,” Smith said.
“You can study television clips all day, but there’s nothing like standing alongside another player to watch from close quarters how someone operates: how they find space, for instance, in a crowded penalty box; how they gain half a yard to fire in a shot.”