Will Burnley's Michael Keane become a first-choice England centre-back?

By Adam Smith

Image: Michael Keane earned his first England call-up last month

Could Michael Keane become a first-choice England centre-back?

Interim boss Gareth Southgate handed Keane his first international call-up last month and the 23-year-old retained his place in the squad for the most recent international period, although he has yet to earn his first cap. 

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The Burnley defender - who you can see in action against West Brom on Sky Sports on Monday Night Football - has earned plenty of praise this term. But do Keane's stats back-up the hype?

According to the Sky Sports Power Rankings, Keane is the 14th top-performing defender in the league, including full-backs - a considerable achievement for a player plying his trade at one of the league's 'smaller' clubs. 

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Excluding defenders from the current top six clubs, only Watford's Jose Holebas outperforms the Burnley man - largely due to two piledriver goals.

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Image: Will Michael Keane be England's future centre-back alongside John Stones?

But how does Keane compare to England's preferred centre-backs, John Stones, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Chris Smalling?

Keane ranks higher than all four for blocks (1.8), interceptions (2.4) and clearances (9.7) per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

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Perhaps surprisingly, he also ranks second for clean sheets, having helped the Clarets keep three shut-outs from 11 league games. 

However, the former Manchester United man ranks bottom for duels won (4.2), tackles (0.6) and successful passes (23) per 90 minutes.

Here's how all five defenders compare...

Image: Michael Keane excels at blocking, intercepting and clearing

Watch West Brom v Burnley live on Sky Sports 1 from 7pm on Monday

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