Harry Kane vs. Daniel Sturridge: Who Will Be Riding Highest in 1 Year's Time?

Harry Kane currently stands far above Daniel Sturridge in any objective ranking. 

Whether at club level or for England, Kane's consistent output and more rounded contributions outweigh the bright but all-too-brief flashes of brilliance from Sturridge. 

The Liverpool striker is a slashing rapier. His pace and close control can gash opposition defences open, and his exemplary scoring rate at Liverpool reflects just how damaging he can be: 39 goals in 62 appearances is a fine return, even if 31 of those were while playing with Luis Suarez.

At his best, Sturridge is a devastating weapon, but even in his best season since joining Liverpool, he only managed 33 appearances in all competitions.

For comparison, Kane has made more than 40 in each of his first two full campaigns with Tottenham Hotspur.  

Sturridge's consistent injury problems have, to employ a tired metaphor, hamstrung his development. A player with the England international's qualities should be thriving under Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. 

The German will build an attacking team around rapid transitions and a highly aggressive tactical approach that will provide ample opportunities for a pacy forward with a good record in front of goal. 

Kane is in a similarly promising situation—he is the most important outfield player in a team built to exploit his strengths. 

Mauricio Pochettino, although reluctant to throw the 22-year-old into his team early last season, has embraced the local boy's strengths and surrounds him with players who allow him to both score and create goals. 

In a young, growing team, Kane is already the fulcrum but assumes more responsibility with each passing month.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Tottenham's best XI is self-evident, and they possess a vital young core who are growing together. Dele Alli has formed a deadly partnership with Kane, and they are only going to improve over time. 

A year ago, Kane had just made a triumphant England debut and was considered a potential UEFA Euro 2016 squad member. He now has four goals in 10 international appearances and, barring injury, is a certain starter in France this summer. That transition shows just how much can change in a year. 

Any predictive exercise is fraught with peril, but some reasonable assumptions can be made. 

Both players will travel to the European Championship. Tottenham will be in the UEFA Champions League next season, while Liverpool will have no European football. 

The closing months of the Premier League season will afford Sturridge no opportunities to win back ground from Kane. The former Chelsea man will be involved in essentially meaningless games, while his international team-mate is the spearhead of Tottenham's title chase and leads the Golden Boot standings. 

The strength in depth that Liverpool possess may also count against Sturridge, and Klopp cannot honestly say that the forward is even in his best team. 

Spurs have no alternative but to play Kane regardless of his form, but Liverpool have numerous quality options.

The outcome of England's tilt at Euro 2016 will be the next major factor determining if Kane and Sturridge will be in a better situation at this point next year.

With Kane a likely starter, a positive performance in France will reflect well on him. England face Russia, Wales and Slovakia in their group, so failure to reach the knockout stages would be underwhelming.

If Kane can lead Roy Hodgson's team to the top of the group, he will have taken another huge step in his career. 

Having already been compared with the legendary Alan Shearer, Kane could match the former Newcastle United star's Euro 96 exploits, despite being four years younger than the England icon was at that tournament. 

The list of England strikers who have distinguished themselves on the biggest stages since 1966 is awfully short, and if Kane were to force his way into that conversation, he would guarantee his place above Sturridge for years to come. 

Should England follow the historical trend and wilt at this international tournament, Sturridge would be well-placed to take advantage. 

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

Kane would be tarred with the nation's collective disappointment, while the Anfield man would escape unscathed.  

When the next Premier League season starts, both Sturridge and Kane will be once again central figures for their club sides. 

Without the distraction of a European campaign, the Reds will be singularly focused on domestic matters. A relatively sedate fixture list could be perfect for Sturridge's delicate physique, and the eternal optimism that accompanies Liverpool will kick into overdrive if the forward does start well. 

If he is able to stay on the pitch, a team fresh from a full pre-season under Klopp should give him plenty of chances to find his best form again. 

For Kane, it will be Europe that gives him his big chance. Tottenham's return to the Champions League will ensure maximum attention, and success on that stage will only further inflate his already growing reputation.

If a bookmaker were laying the odds on whether Kane or Sturridge would be riding highest in March 2017, they would make the Tottenham man a massive favourite. Kane is a stronger player. He makes goals and improves his team-mates while scoring at a comparable rate to the Liverpool forward.

Sturridge starts from a significant handicap at both domestic and international level. Where Kane is, injury permitting, a guaranteed starter for Tottenham and England, the Anfield man is on the cusp. Liverpool could simply omit the striker from their lineup and it would cause no major uproar. 

It is even possible Sturridge could be sold in the summer. Should he leave Liverpool, that would only strengthen Kane's relative position as there are no more high-profile clubs likely to invest in him. 

The notion that Sturridge could move back ahead of Kane is far from laughable but seems only remotely likely at this stage. It is, for the next 12 months at least, an unfair contest. 

Kane is in the perfect situation to continue to develop. He is still only 22, far from his likely physical peak.

Sturridge, his opponent in this scenario, is unlikely to suddenly discover consistent fitness at 26. 

In the 2009-10 season, Robin van Persie managed just 19 appearances for Arsenal. It seemed to be the campaign that confirmed him as a fantastically talented but ultimately crocked striker. He scored 89 goals in 129 appearances over the next three seasons.

A comparable turnaround is far from impossible for Sturridge, and it is what would be required for him to overhaul the high-flying Kane.