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16 hours ago
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Danny Welbeck has not played for England since September 2018. Seven years on, he is in the form of his life and could be set to make the unlikeliest of international comebacks.
A close-range finish in Brighton's 3-0 win over Leeds on Saturday was Welbeck's sixth goal in 10 Premier League games and he is this season's most prolific English scorer in the competition.
The 34-year-old has notched in his past three league games, the longest streak of a career that has seen him score in 17 different Premier League campaigns.
On Friday Thomas Tuchel will name his England squad for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania later this month, and the German has a reputation for picking players based on form.
Welbeck, who will be 35 by the time the 2026 World Cup kicks off in June, has every right to be confident of adding to his 42 caps and 16 international goals, but he has remained coy on the matter.
"I'm feeling good," Welbeck said on the BBC's Final Score programme on Saturday. "I've been getting the goals more than I have previously.
"Before I have had better performances but maybe not got the goals. I am feeling fit, strong and the only thing I can focus on is controlling what I can control and the rest will sort itself out.
"I am really enjoying my football, focusing on the next game with Brighton."
That strategy certainly seems to be working for Welbeck. His six goals this term have come in five league games and he is the Premier League's top scorer since his streak began on 27 September.
"He's a timeless wonder," former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport
"What a guy. He's scoring goals and I think he's the most efficient striker."
Having scored six goals from seven shots on target, Welbeck is on track to surpass the career-best 10 top-flight goals he scored last season.
Several different strikers have played second fiddle to Harry Kane in recent years, but none are currently enjoying the kind of purple patch Welbeck is.
"If you look at the forward options in Tuchel's last squad there aren't many obvious stand-ins for Harry Kane," Alan Shearer told BBC Sport.
"Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka aren't going to fill that role and Ollie Watkins hasn't been firing for Aston Villa, so any English striker scoring goals in the Premier League is going to be talked about.
"It's seven years since Welbeck's last cap and he's 35 this month but Tuchel isn't worried about the future. His only focus is the six weeks of the World Cup so there's no reason why Welbeck couldn't be involved if he keeps scoring and stays injury free."
Injuries have disrupted much of Welbeck's career and arguably prevented him from adding to his 42 England caps, but he now founds himself in the beneficial position of being able to contribute goals on the pitch and leadership off it.
"I'm loving it here at Brighton, I've been very important, integral, on and off the pitch," added Welbeck.
"I'm enjoying the senior role as well, I know how important it was for me as a youngster coming through having senior members you can speak to, come to for advice, it helped me massively.
"It's come full circle now, I'm there to pass on advice to youngsters and help those around me. It's been pretty seamless slipping into this role."
Welbeck recently told BBC Radio 5 Live that "the door is always open" with England.
He added: "I know that if I'm called upon then I'd love to do the job, but honestly it doesn't come into my thinking at the moment. I'm just focused on Brighton, winning games and picking up points."
While Welbeck has played down his chances, Onuoha, who has played against Welbeck in the past, believes he knows Tuchel will be interested in him.
"You almost talk about him like he has never played for England before. He has done that job before," Onuoha said.
"With the profile he has, he could definitely suit Tuchel's style as such. For someone to be in that form, he knows he is going to be part of the conversation."
Rob: Welbeck needs to be in the England squad. He can still offer a lot. I'm not saying her starts matches, but he's a very good option to have.
Clive: A lot of people calling for Welbeck to be in England squad but only 7.4% have him in their fantasy team. Get him in sharpish.
Josh: I'd take Welbeck for England over any other English striker aside from Kane in his current form.
Bob: We need to be bringing younger strikers through, not trawling clubs for old players having a good season.
Harry: I think part of Welbeck's longevity is around the fact that he only has one thing to focus on - the league. I think if we threw him into the England squad and Brighton made Europe, we'd see him struggle a bit. I love the guy but I'm not sure.
Stephen: Get Danny Welbeck in the World Cup squad.
