Roy Hodgson gives green light for Harry Kane to play at Under 21 European Championship

HARRY KANE will play for England U21s at the European Championship this summer – regardless of whether he continues to blaze a trail between now and the end of the season.

Harry KaneGETTY

Harry Kane will play for the U21s this summer

England coach Roy Hodgson believes Kane’s development will be better served at the tournament in the Czech Republic in June, rather than with the senior squad for their two matches.

He scored after just 79 seconds of his senior England debut as a substitute against Lithuania on Friday and is in line to start tomorrow’s friendly against Italy in Turin after injuries to fellow strikers Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge.

But U21s coach Gareth Southgate said Kane, who has scored 29 goals for Tottenham, has not outgrown the juniors and will spearhead their quest for glory rather stay in Hodgson’s plans for a friendly with the Republic of Ireland and a Euro 2016 qualifier with Slovenia.

Harry Kane Player Profile

We are not short of good players in the seniors, but understandably for Harry to be there this time, against Lithuania, was merited

Gareth Southgate

“Roy Hodgson and I know that the seniors are in a good group position and he feels the experience of going to the Czech Republic will be more beneficial to Harry than the two games he has got,” said Southgate.

Spurs have voiced concerns about Kane suffering burn-out.

Southgate will return to the Riverside Stadium tonight for the first time since he was axed as Middlesbrough boss six years ago as England’s youngsters take on Germany, with more than 30,000 tickets sold for the friendly.

Kick-off: 7.45pm. TV: BT Sport 1.

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