Jamie Vardy Dismisses Harry Kane Back-Up Claims Ahead of England October Squad Announcement

Jamie Vardy has insisted that he is not content to play back up to number one England striking choice Harry Kane ahead of the October international break.

The Leicester City ace and Tottenham hot-shot will definitely be part of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Lithuania as they look to cement their place at the 2018 international tournament in Russia.

Vardy and Kane have been in impressive goalscoring form for their respective clubs already this term but, in quotes published by the Daily Mail, the 30-year-old Foxes marksman stated that he - and the rest of England's selected attackers - would not be part of Southgate's team to merely make up the numbers.

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He said: "It's (playing second fiddle to Kane) nothing like that. It depends on how we line-up. 'H' has been in fine form for his club and country as well.

"It's just one of those things, you have to keep working hard, show you are playing well and put yourself in the picture.

"There's still things I need to improve on - there's some very good strikers wanting to get in that England squad. I'm planning to make sure I'm playing well for my club first and foremost."

Vardy has notched five goals in just six matches for Leicester so far this term, and has also bagged six goals in 17 appearances for England's senior side since he made his first-team debut.

Those figures pale in comparison to Kane, however, with the 24-year-old having plundered nine goal in eight starts in 2017/18 for Spurs and registering 10 strikes in 21 England games.

Away from talk of the competition up top in England's starting lineup, Vardy backed the Three Lions to secure the two points necessary to qualify for the World Cup with victory over Slovenia on 5th October.

Southgate's charges host Slovenia at Wembley before travelling to Vilnius to face Lithuania three days later, and Vardy wants their progression to be sealed before that trip to Eastern Europe.

He added: "We need two more points so hopefully we can get them in the first game against Slovenia and then top that off with a win in Lithuania."