Gareth Southgate admits Harry Kane did not reach “the level we all would have hoped” after replacing England’s captain early in the Euro 2024 final.
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- Prolific striker remains captain of his country
- Carried a knock into European Championship
- Suffered more heartache on the trophy front
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The prolific Bayern Munich striker, who entered the competition carrying a knock that kept him out of season-ending fixtures at club level, never looked fully fit when captaining his country at another major tournament. He did score three goals, and claimed a share of the Golden Boot, but faced questions of his contribution throughout.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Those continued in a final showdown with Spain, leading to Kane being replaced by Ollie Watkins just past the hour mark. England restored parity with their skipper on the bench, as Cole Palmer cancelled out Nico Williams’ opener, but there was more heartache for the Three Lions as Mikel Oyarzabal netted four minutes from time.
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WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID
Southgate told afterwards of Kane's struggles and why he was hauled off again with major silverware on the line: “Physically it has been tough for him. He came into the tournament short on games and has not quite reached the level we all would have hoped. The games are hugely demanding and we thought Ollie’s freshness would allow us to press better and offer a press in behind. I thought the substitutes came on and did what we asked them to do.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Southgate added when reflecting on England’s performance overall: “We’ve competed until the very end of the final. I think today we didn’t keep possession of the ball quite well enough. We defended well but when you win the ball back you need to get out of that pressure. And we weren’t able to do that. That meant they had more control of the game and that can wear you down a bit. That said we got the equaliser and then it was wide open. A big chance at the end to equalise so as always it is fine margins. I do think they were the best team in the tournament.”
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