Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has said he is "proud" to lead the new generation of English players but warned that clubs have to give other young talents a chance.
Kane was named the PFA Young Player of the Year on Sunday night after a season in which he has scored 20 goals in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old, who scored on his England debut in March, has enjoyed a significant turnaround after loan spells with Millwall, Norwich and Leicester.
Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood has said some at the club had been seeking to offload Kane during the January window last year and added: "If they would have brought in somebody last January and his name ended in an 'I' or an 'O,' the fans would have been very excited, but I'm not sure he would have given them the same output as Harry Kane has given."
Kane believes there is plenty more English talent around but said he had only been able to show his worth thanks to Sherwood and current Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
"Definitely," he said in The Times. "I think so. There are a lot of English players out there that have just needed a chance. You know what it's like nowadays with a lot of other players coming into the game. It's tough. I found it tough. Tim gave me a chance and I managed to score a few goals. Then Pochettino did the same and I scored.
"If Tim hadn't given me the chance then I might not be where I am now. It's about a manager having faith in you, giving you that trust on the big stage. I know it's tough nowadays because there's so much scrutiny on the managers and so much pressure. People have respected the way I've done it.
"I've not just been thrown in. I've had to work hard, be patient. It hasn't come easy. If I can be an example to other players and it gives other manager the chance to play their younger players, that would be great. Hopefully I can inspire as many people as possible."
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has said he would use Kane's success to try to convince Premier League clubs to give English players a chance, and the player said he is relishing his current "poster boy" status.
"It makes me feel proud," he said in the Daily Mirror. "That's what I've always wanted to become. I've always wanted to become a top footballer in English football. I'm getting there.
"People say: 'Is it extra responsibility?' It isn't. I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully that sets a good example for the younger generation coming through. That's all I can do -- affect the way I play, the way I improve and hopefully that helps others.
"People have respected the way I've done it. I've not been just thrown in. I've had to work hard, be patient. It hasn't come easy. That's the responsibility I'm hoping to take from it if I can be an inspiration to young players coming through.
"I was a young fan once, and I looked up to players I'm playing with now. It's great and hopefully I can inspire as many people as possible."
Kane also said that, as a youngster, he had idolised former Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham, who was born in Leytonstone in London.
"David Beckham was a big inspiration for me," he said. "He's from the same sort of area as me. The way he conducted himself on and off the pitch, he's a great role model -- still. He was my hero growing up.
"I got to meet him a couple of times, once when he came to the Tottenham training ground to train. That was like a dream come true. He was probably my biggest hero growing up. This was a few years ago I met him.
"Talking to Wayne Rooney when I was away with England, it was great to be able to chat with him. Again, he was somebody I looked up to when I was younger. He told me what it was like. He was in a similar situation when he was younger.
"He said: 'Keep your mind focused, keep working hard, keep trying to improve, keep your friends and family close, and that's all that matters.' That's all I've tried to do anyway -- always tried to keep improving. I'll continue to do that, to become as good as I can become."