Kane was on the war path to defend his teammates against former England internationals who were hyper-critical of the current crop
Harry Kane has fired back at former England players who have been critical of the current Three Lions squad as they compete in the 2024 European Championship.
Kane, who scored England’s only goal in their 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday, addressed comments from ex-England striker-turned-pundit Gary Lineker, who described the team’s performance as “s***.”
Kane responds to Lineker criticism
Speaking ahead of England’s final group game, Kane said, “I’d never want to be disrespectful to any player, especially, you know, a player who’s worn the shirt and knows what it’s like to play for England. “Maybe ex-players or ex-players who are pundits now have got to realise that it’s very hard not to listen to what they say, especially for some players who are not used to it or some players who are new to the environment.
“I always feel like former players and pundits have a responsibility. I know they’ve got to be honest and give their opinion, but also they have a responsibility of being an ex-England player.”
"Remember what it was like to wear the shirt!"
Harry Kane hits back at recent criticism from Gary Lineker on @England's performances so far at @EURO2024
https://t.co/DGP1EaStPQ pic.twitter.com/KMZ77SkP4d
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) June 23, 2024
“The bottom line is, we haven’t won anything as a nation for a long, long time. And, you know, a lot of these ex-players were part of that as well… they do know that it’s tough to play in these major tournaments. It’s tough to play for England.”
England hoping to top Euro 2024 group
Despite the underwhelming displays, England remains unbeaten at Euro 2024 and could finish top of their group if they beat Slovenia on Tuesday.
A win against Serbia in the opening game and a draw against Denmark in their second match in the tournament means that England are almost assured of a place in the Round of 16 and will be aiming for a top-place finish if they manage to beat Slovenia.