If Harry Kane plays all four matches during this international break, he will match Peter Shilton's record for most England caps. He will almost certainly break that record soon after. However, at 33 years old, he cannot play forever, and England needs a succession plan. The Daily Telegraph has compiled a list of six strikers that Premier League insiders believe could be Kane's heir apparent, including Liam Delap and Matheus Brasil.

Here are the six players:

Liam Delap (Nottingham Forest)

Delap's move from Ipswich to Chelsea was intended to boost his England prospects, but his career has been derailed by injuries and inconsistent form. His loan move to Nottingham Forest gives him a chance to revive his career and become an England contender again. His goal against Villa is a timely reminder of his ability, but now the 23-year-old must prove he can maintain that level of performance.

By Euro 2028 at home, Delap will be 25 and should be entering his peak years before the next World Cup in 2030, when Kane will be 36.

Will Lankshear (Middlesbrough)

A striker once loaned out by Tottenham Hotspur who then demonstrated prolific goalscoring ability elsewhere—sound familiar? Though Will Lankshear's career path differs from Kane's precisely (he permanently left Spurs to start fresh at Middlesbrough in the Championship), there are clear parallels between the two.

Just as Leicester City fans were unimpressed by Kane during his loan spell, West Bromwich Albion supporters might laugh at the suggestion that Lankshear could become an England player after failing to score during his loan there last season. However, Lankshear has started this season strongly for Middlesbrough with 8 goals and is expected to feature for England U21 during this international break.

Matheus Brasil (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa fans have been eagerly waiting to see Brasil again after watching him score in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain last summer, which made him the youngest goalscorer in the competition's history. Though injury has prevented him from building on that impressive performance and form with PSG, it has not dampened excitement about the 17-year-old's future.

Aston Villa captain John McGinn has already praised Brasil's potential, and outsiders beyond Middlesbrough are equally excited about this physically strong forward. Brasil could have joined Chelsea's BlueCo group if Strasbourg, Chelsea's partner club, had not been outbid by Villa's £10 million offer. Villa believes they have a gem, and England may as well.

Dominic Ballard (Bristol City)

Consistent goalscoring at Leyton Orient was key to Kane's eventual success (Kane was loaned to the East London club for half a season), and Ballard is following in his footsteps. After scoring 13 goals in League Two for Leyton Orient, Ballard moved to Bristol City this summer and has started well in the Championship with 3 goals.

Ballard has also scored for England at youth level, netting for the U18, U19, and U20 teams. At last season's EFL Awards, he was named League Two Player of the Year and Rising Star of the Year, and made the Team of the Season. Though he still has a long way to go before reaching the Premier League and international stage, Ballard has progressed rapidly over the past year, and insiders believe he is far from reaching his ceiling.

Michael Obonna-Mika (Chelsea, on loan at Celtic)

Chelsea has several young striker prospects who could be England's way forward in the post-Kane era. One of them is Obonna-Mika, who is on loan at Celtic this season. He has already scored 16 goals in 23 appearances for England U19 in European competitions. In the UEFA Conference League against Copenhagen, he became Chelsea's youngest player to start in a European match at 17 years and 173 days old.

Essenwatagbe (Chelsea)

Essenwatagbe has attracted significant attention at Chelsea and within England's youth system, scoring 5 goals in 8 appearances for the England U17 team and 6 goals in 10 appearances for the U18 team.

As a strong, muscular forward, Essenwatagbe possesses all the physical attributes needed to handle the intensity of elite-level football. He has impressed at every youth level and is certainly one to watch.

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