England's Harry Kane Expected to Shine in Daniel Sturridge's Absence

This Friday sees England take on Lithuania in a European qualifier, and Premier League top scorer Harry Kane is being eyed as the man to lead the Three Lions to nothing less than a comprehensive victory. With Daniel Sturridge injured, too, there's extra pressure on Kane to perform.

Already one of England's most prolific goalscorers this season, the 21-year-old has created much of his own hype with some quality football for Tottenham Hotspur in their quest to secure Champions League football.

Many, though, will remain unconvinced of his long-term impact until he can pull regular performances out of the bag under the guidance of Roy Hodgson.

Will the young star maintain his recent levels of performance, or is he doomed to fail with so much expectancy? Here, we analyse how his upcoming bow will unfold.

Confidence will help him assimilate

Playing with unrivalled confidence, Kane has been a joy to watch, not only for fans of the Lilywhites, but for neutrals, too.

Oozing confidence, his eagerness to get involved in as much of every contest as possible is a credit to his work ethic as well as his desire to increase his goal tally, something that should ensure Sturridge's absence is quickly forgotten.

Often this campaign, the Londoner's new-found self-belief has largely manifested itself in front of goal, much like it did for his memorable hat-trick against Leicester City and when Spurs overcame Queens Park Rangers 2-1 back in early March.

But with his international debut on the horizon, it's also likely to help him assimilate much faster into his relatively new surroundings. Receiving praise from far and wide for his tireless work ethic, the former benchwarmer has been out to prove that he is not just a striker, and he is more than willing to work hard off the ball.

After all, if there's one thing English football fans value as much as results, it's performance.

No doubt, he will go out and give his all at Wembley—even if he does fail to rattle the back of the net.

Recent form suggests goals

Much of the expectancy surrounding Kane stems from his incredible form in front of goal, of course. 

Under Tim Sherwood last season, he was seen as a stop-gap measure to chip in with a few goals while Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor misfired up front. Since then, though, he has turned the tables on his team-mates, forcing them to watch from the dugouts instead.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press/Associated Press

The role-reversal has been justified.

Mauricio Pochettino finally relented before the new year and confirmed Kane was deserving of more minutes.

Spurs have not looked back since.

With 29 strikes in all competitions, he is one of the most prolific goalscorers on the continent. Indeed, according to EuroTopFoot.com, he is in a race to eventually finish as the third-highest European goalscorer this season.

As good as he has been so far, he's not going to catch Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Up against a Lithuania team who have conceded six goals in their last three matches, however, Kane should enjoy his time in the spotlight, provided he's afforded enough time on the field of play as his recent form clearly warrants. 

Pressure is his only obstacle

Part of the allure of Kane's story this season has been just how unexpected his rise to prominence has been. Bringing us all on his rollercoaster journey, the unexpected nature of his individual feats have influenced how he has been perceived.

Hardly anyone saw the England international having as a good a season as he has.

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Many are wary of the pressure that could accompany the new assumptions that are being foisted upon him, including fellow countryman Gary Cahill, per the Guardian's Daniel Taylor.

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You've got to be careful. He's still a young boy and being in the senior squad, with players you don't really know, can be daunting. It is easy to talk a player up too much and I think we do that a lot in this country. But for me he has everything.

He can hold the ball up, he runs in behind, he has two good feet, he can head, he can finish, he has a bit of pace.

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So, it's important Kane, too, doesn't ask too much of himself.

Looking at Sturridge, Kane would be wise to enjoy the moment as much as he can—next time around, the Lilywhites frontman could be the one on the treatment table. 

With a proclivity for rolling the ball past helpless custodians now the "norm" for the Tottenham youth product, the surprise element to his play has evaporated. And while he's still managed to outdo defenders at a domestic level with increased attention, it would be naive to think the Lithuanians don't have a plan in place to limit his impact.

Make no mistake, this is not only an opportunity for the young man, but a test as well.

Conclusion

Logically, this is not just a night for Harry Kane.

The whole team are on a mission to pick up a big win that could see them stretch their lead at the summit of Group E to an unassailable 15 points—continuing an unbeaten run of form.

Yes, fans will root for Harry Kane just as they will root for England.

But even though they know they shouldn't expect too much, his introduction (at whatever stage of the game) will be met with the deafening anticipation of goals.

Will the prolific striker be able to block it out and continue his whirlwind season?