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Harry Kane will be nearly 35 by the time Euro 2028 arrives, leaving England to ponder who could step up as his successor. Unfortunately, the options don’t inspire much confidence.

After the Three Lions returned from the 2026 World Cup with bronze medals, attention has already turned to the future — specifically, the 2028 European Championships, which will take place on home soil.

Can England finally end their 62 years of agony? To stand a chance, they’ll need a prolific goalscorer.

Kane will celebrate his 35th birthday less than three weeks after the tournament. It’s not entirely unrealistic to believe that England’s all-time top scorer could still perform at a high level — and that’s the positive side.

The downside, however, is that Thomas Tuchel — if he remains in charge — will still require a reliable forward capable of deputising for Kane when needed.

At present, the list of alternatives looks alarmingly thin. The most plausible backup option appears to be Jude Bellingham.

Yet England must allow Bellingham to flourish in his most effective role, which is not as a centre-forward. He thrives when playing off a striker, not as the main attacking spearhead.

So, who could fill that role? Here’s a ranking of England’s potential striking options who will be younger than Kane’s 2026 age by the time Euro 2028 comes around.

Kane once emerged as the natural successor to Wayne Rooney. So, within Lee Carsley’s setup, who might be burdened with such lofty expectations next?

Manchester City’s young striker Mubama, aged 21, has represented England at every youth level from Under-15s upward, netting five goals in seven appearances for the Under-21s.

Having progressed through West Ham’s academy, Mubama made his senior debut there but grew disillusioned by limited first-team chances. Ironically, he joined Manchester City in 2024 — a club hardly known for its shortage of top strikers.

Last season, Mubama was loaned to Stoke City, where he scored five goals. While that’s a solid effort, he didn’t exactly light up the Championship. Another season in the second tier, perhaps with Derby County, seems likely.

Ivan Toney just makes this list, as he’ll be slightly younger in 2028 than Kane was at the recent World Cup. The former Brentford forward was selected as one of England’s alternatives for Kane during that tournament.

Or was he really? Tuchel’s reluctance to use Toney except for a few late minutes in the semi-final defeat — when he joined Dan Burn up front — or in the rather meaningless bronze medal match suggests the 30-year-old might have been viewed primarily as a penalty specialist.

Toney’s call-up was unexpected, given he had been out of the public eye while playing for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Unless he leaves the Middle East soon, it’s difficult to see him playing a significant role in England’s future plans.

Crystal Palace’s Eddie Nketiah remains England’s all-time top scorer at Under-21 level with 16 goals — an impressive record on paper.

However, his five Premier League goals since leaving Arsenal for Palace two years ago paint a less encouraging picture. Unless Nketiah drastically improves his goal output, it’s fair to assume his senior international career will mirror that of many who couldn’t bridge the gap from youth to the senior stage.

Ollie Watkins, like Toney, will be about the same age as Kane was at the World Cup when Euro 2028 comes around. He earned a late recall to this World Cup squad but featured for only six minutes, despite being trusted more by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024. Can he rise again by 2028?

Probably not. At 32, his game — heavily reliant on pace — may decline. Reports suggest he could move to Turkey this summer, which wouldn’t bode well for his international aspirations. Unlike Toney, Watkins can’t rely on penalty prowess to justify his inclusion.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a brief audition for the World Cup but failed to convince Tuchel that he was a better option than Watkins or Toney. At just a year younger than both, age isn’t on his side either.

Still, ever the optimists at F365, we can note that Calvert-Lewin’s injury absences might mean his legs are fresher than most 29-year-olds. Perhaps his peak years lie ahead, especially after settling at Leeds United and enjoying his second-best season in terms of goals and appearances.

But realistically, that hope may be misplaced.

Like Nketiah, Dominic Solanke’s England career may remain defined by his youth-level exploits. However, his prospects of making a late breakthrough at senior level are slightly better than the Palace striker’s.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi once described Solanke as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” in April. Now 28, Solanke could yet push his England case further if he thrives at Tottenham Hotspur, where his style should suit the system perfectly.

His first challenge, though, will be to stay fit long enough to build consistent form.

If Tuchel decides to address England’s striker shortage by ditching a traditional number nine altogether, Anthony Gordon could emerge as a false nine option — freeing Bellingham to operate from deeper positions.

Gordon has experience in that role with the England Under-21s, helping them win the 2023 Under-21 Euros while being named Player of the Tournament. The new Barcelona signing impressed last season for Newcastle United, scoring nine goals and providing one assist in 16 central appearances. If he continues that form in Spain, Tuchel may be tempted to experiment with the approach.

Liam Delap was once viewed as the brightest prospect to follow Kane when he joined Chelsea last year. However, his return of just one Premier League goal since moving to Stamford Bridge has significantly lowered expectations.

At 23, there’s still time for him to rediscover the form that saw him finish as one of only three English strikers to reach double figures in the 2024/25 Premier League season — and he achieved that feat for a relegated Ipswich Town side.

For that to happen, he needs a move away from Chelsea, where he remains behind Joao Pedro in the pecking order. A switch to Newcastle United or Everton could provide the playing time he needs to reignite his career.