Does Danny Welbeck deserve an England call-up?
It has been an impressive start to the season for Brighton striker Danny Welbeck. The 31-year-old has scored six goals in his opening 12 Premier League matches. It puts him on course for his best-ever campaign in the top flight of English football.
With Thomas Tuchel taking over as England’s head coach in January, this run of form might be enough to convince the German to give Welbeck his first call-up to the national team since 2018.
Seagulls Pushing for Top Four with Strong Attack
Brighton are 80/1 in the Premier League winner odds this season, but a realistic aim may now be a top-four finish, where they can be backed at just 5/1 in the top four betting with the bookmakers.
The Seagulls will be bidding for a third straight success in the Premier League when they take on Southampton. The Saints are the 1/10 favourites in the Premier League relegation odds, so Brighton will be expected to pick up all three points from that game.
WHO ELSE!? 😍 pic.twitter.com/zNkYrEaWxf
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) October 26, 2024
Welbeck is part of a Seagulls attack that is firing on all cylinders. They have scored 21 goals from their opening 12 games.
Arguably their best half of football of the campaign came against Manchester City, when they scored two second-half goals to prevail 2-1 against the champions.
England Return to Action in March
The Three Lions are not in action now until March, when they begin their World Cup qualifying campaign. It means Welbeck has more time to impress Tuchel before he picks his squad for the opening games of that campaign.
— England (@England) October 16, 2024
As a former Chelsea manager, Tuchel knows English football well. Although he does not start his new job until early 2025, he will have been keeping a close eye on the Premier League since he signed his contract with the FA.
Welbeck faces competition from Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Ivan Toney and Marcus Rashford for the forward positions in the England squad. He will to get back into the fold before the World Cup in 2026.
Fabian Hurzeler Has Given Welbeck Central Role
New Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler has shown a lot of confidence in Welbeck since arriving at the club in the summer. He has given him a role in the centre of the Seagull’s attack, and the Englishman is relishing it.
Welbeck has stated one of the reasons he left Manchester United was because he was playing out wide far too often. He has always felt his best position is as a centre forward, and he is showing this season he can have a lot of success in front of goal.
Hürzeler was not a household name in England before arriving at Brighton. He is proving to be an excellent find from the club as they bid to take the next step towards Champions League football, as he is getting the best out of the squad he inherited.
If Welbeck can keep up his excellent goal ratio, it may not be long before we see him in an England shirt again, something which will make Brighton fans very proud.
