England have been less than overly impressive thus far in the Euro 2020, achieving a 1-0 win against Croatia and battling Scotland to a goalless draw. As those scores attest to, Three Lions have really had some issues in attack, and some of the blame for that falls on Harry Kane, who is basically the face of the national team. Kane was taken off in both games, which has invited questions about both his fitness and his focus.
It’s been well documented how badly he wants to leave Tottenham Hotspur, and given how badly the club’s managerial search has gone, who can blame him.
Kane was asked if a desire to transfer clubs has affected his international performance.
“Absolutely not,” he responded.
“All my focus is on how I can help this team and how we can be successful in this tournament. I understand from a media point of view there is speculation but I am fully focused on the job here.”
Kane maintains that he’s 100% fully match fit, and that his national team are on the right track at the Euros. He brushed aside concerns that he might be injured right now.
“I didn’t have any issues. I didn’t feel physically I wasn’t up to it. I felt going into those games as good as I’ve felt all season, if I’m honest,” Kane continued.
“(Manager) Gareth (Southgate) is within his rights to make the changes he thinks are best for the team.
“What we’ve learned over past tournaments is about trying to peak at the right time. The best time to be peaking is in the knockout stages and hopefully kick on from there.
“Maybe in Russia there were times, towards the quarter- and semifinal, when I wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be. In the end we didn’t get to where we wanted to go, maybe partly for that reason.”
Tuesday night represents a massive match for Harry Kane and England, as they take on group leaders Czech Republic. If they win, they’ll advance through as group winners. In order to do so, they’ll have to show an improved ability to break down their opponents.
“It’s about managing the squad,” Kane added.
“Making sure everyone is feeling as fit and sharp as possible. In my case, it was a tough couple of games [Croatia and Scotland] and it’s about making sure I’m right for the rest of them.”
Just as Harry Kane admitted here, Southgate and England are still trying to figure out the best combination, and formula for winning. They need to be on a faster learning curve however, as time is running out.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.