England Under-21s manager Gareth Southgate has insisted that Harry Kane's inclusion in his squad for the European Championship this summer will be a good thing for the striker.
Concerns had been raised by Tottenham Hotspur over Kane's workload, with the 21-year-old having made 49 appearances in all competitions for club and country so far in his breakthrough season.
However, despite pleas for the striker to be given a rest this summer, Southgate has included him in his provisional 27-man squad for the tournament in the Czech Republic, and believes that it will be a "great stage" for Kane to enhance his ability.
"Harry has had a fantastic season and has been a big part of our team. It's important for all the group he's here and it's a great stage for Harry to show his ability on the international stage in a top tournament," Southgate is quoted as saying by PA.
"It's good for his development and it's good for the group. Most clubs would prefer their players not to go away all summer and play, but we want to take the best players and give them that experience. That has been the basis of the discussion we had [with Spurs]. We are grateful for their support as we are with all of the clubs."
The bulk of Southgate's squad are due to meet up on June 2, but Kane will be given an extra week off due to Tottenham's post-season commitments in Malaysia and Australia.
"We have to be sensible with him. It's more important with the younger players because they are still maturing but Harry is in a very good condition physically," Southgate added.
England play their opening match of the tournament against Portugal on June 18 before taking on Sweden and Italy in the groups.
Barney Corkhill
