Dominic Solanke, the Tottenham Hotspur striker, has a special memento on his wall – the England shirt from his lone appearance for the national team. Seven years have passed since he donned it, but Solanke never gave up hope of another call-up. Now, the 27-year-old is back in the fold, earning his second cap for England under interim manager Lee Carsley for the upcoming Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.
Solanke is eager to make this return a lasting one. “I think over the years, when I do see it (the shirt), I’ve always thought ‘When I get back there and win more caps for my country …’” Solanke shared, reflecting on his England debut in 2017, a friendly against Brazil. “Having something like that on the wall is definitely extra motivation.” He added after England’s training session on Tuesday at St. George’s Park, “I didn’t think it wouldn’t come around. (I had to) just keep playing well and scoring goals, and I always believed that I would get back here. That was my mindset. I’m thankful to be back here now, and hopefully I can stay here.”
Solanke’s return is well-deserved. He’s enjoyed a successful season with Spurs, netting three goals across all competitions since joining the London club from Bournemouth in a deal worth up to £65 million ($85.25 million) last August. His impressive form, which saw him score 21 goals for Bournemouth last season, makes his omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad that finished runners-up to Spain at Euro 2024 all the more frustrating. However, Solanke used this setback as fuel to ignite his determination. “It was definitely something I was pushing for, but there’s so many good players that could represent England, probably one of the strongest in the world, and I didn’t quite manage to make the squad, which I was disappointed about. But that’s football,” he explained. “It’s a dream to play for your country, so when you don’t get selected, it definitely motivates you to work even harder to make the next one.”
The long gap between Solanke’s senior team appearances is surprising, given his consistent presence in the national age group program. He made his under-16 debut in 2012, helped England win the under-20 World Cup in 2017 (even receiving the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player), and remained a fixture in the youth ranks. Solanke credits his mental strength for his longevity. “The mental side of football is just as big these days, because there’s so many ups and downs, a lot going on, on and off the pitch,” he said. “So it’s important to stay focused and believe in yourself and keep working hard. And everyone’s journey is different. Some people have a smooth-sailing career, and some not as smooth. So yes, it’s just about sticking with it.”
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane missed training on Tuesday, opting for an individualised session indoors after sustaining a right leg injury during a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt over the weekend. While Bayern Munich confirmed the injury, they also stated it’s not a structural one. England currently sits second in Group B2 of the Nations League with six points from two games, trailing Greece on goal difference. They’ll host the Greeks at Wembley on Thursday before traveling to Finland three days later.
