Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 8y

England boss Roy Hodgson should tap into Tottenham chemistry - Jenas

Roy Hodgson would be "daft" not to take advantage of the five Tottenham Hotspur players in his England squad during Euro 2016, says Jermaine Jenas.

Barring a surprise, Hodgson will name Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane his final 23-man group for the tournament on Tuesday.

Former Spurs and England midfielder Jenas has been hugely impressed by Tottenham's season, despite their catastrophic final month, and believes the quintet should be a key part of Hodgson's plans for France.

"If England do well at the Euros, Tottenham will have a huge influence," Jenas is quoted as saying by The Independent.

"They have just had a phenomenal season in terms of the club's development and that has been a blessing for Hodgson.

"There's no way he had any inkling that Dele Alli would go on to the level he has and even Eric Dier, there was questions mark over him last summer -- he was a right-back, centre-back... It wasn't quite happening for him but now he looks like one of the most accomplished holding midfielders in the league. Then there's the continuing form of Harry Kane.

"Spurs will have a massive influence not just because of the players but because of the way they play. There was glimpses [when England beat] Germany. Danny Rose on the left knows exactly where Dele Alli wants the ball, Alli knows where Kane wants it. They have got a very good understanding.

"Hodgson should tap into that. If he can get enough people on the pitch committed to playing that way, he can do it. You need [people with energy] to press high up the pitch. Then you need full-backs who can do what Kyle Walker and Danny Rose do for Spurs. Whether he picks them or not is another matter but he would be daft not to tap into that and I think he will."

Jenas has been particularly impressed by Alli and believes his combative style of play is not an issue.

The 20-year-old missed Spurs' final three matches of the season through suspension after appearing to punch West Brom's Claudio Yacob, but Jenas says Hodgson should not try to tame the PFA Young Player of the Year.

"Do nothing at all," is Jenas' advice. "Leave him alone. Let him be the player he wants to be. It's what makes the top players great and the minute you start taking it out of them, you are diluting them. I hate that. It is part of his make-up and he will learn."

Meanwhile, former Spurs and England forward Teddy Sheringham believes Kane can be the first Englishman to win the Golden Boot at a major tournament since Alan Shearer on home soil in 1996.

"Can Kane challenge for the Golden Boot at Euro 2016? Yeah, of course he can. If he hits a run of form like he did in the league then absolutely," Sheringham is quoted as saying by The Mirror.

"If he scores a couple of goals in the group stage and England get a nice draw in the round-of- 16 then he'll be bang in the mix.

"You need everyone confident and in-form once you hit the knockout stages, particularly your strikers, as that is when it all gets a bit tense. Give either Kane or [Jamie] Vardy half a chance at the moment and they will take it."

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