"England comes before anything" - Harry Kane calls out players who withdrew from Three Lions' November Nations League squad
Harry Kane has taken aim at England players who have withdrawn from international duty this week. Eight of the initial squad caretaker manager Lee Carsley called up for UEFA Nations League action have returned to their clubs.
This has led to a massive debate over players prioritizing their clubs over representing their country. Kane, 31, is in the squad and set to be available for games against Greece (November 14) and the Republic of Ireland (November 17).
Harry Kane spoke about the situation and expressed disappointment seeing his peers withdraw from the nation's camp. He told ITV Sport:
"I think the joy to play for England I think he (Gareth Southgate) brought that back. Every camp people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England. That's the most important thing, England comes before club. England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer."
Kane added:
"It's a shame this week, obviously it's a tough period of the season. Maybe that's been taken advantage of that a little bit, I don't really like it if i'm totally honest."
Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Ramsdale all withdrew from Carsley's squad. Four were in the Three Lions squad, finishing as runners-up at Euro 2024.
Carsley's squad was named on November 7, and this is the last time the nation will meet this year. Thomas Tuchel will take over as permanent manager in January.
The games against Greece and Ireland are important for the nation's hopes of promotion in the Nations League. They must beat the Greeks to stand any chance of promotion.
Harry Kane is relishing playing under new England boss Thomas Tuchel once again
Harry Kane will soon be reunited with Tuchel, whom he played under at Bayern Munich last season. He enjoyed the best season of his career working with the German coach, posting 44 goals and 12 assists in 45 games across competitions.
The Three Lions captain reacted to Tuchel's appointment with excitement. He wrote on X/Twitter:
"Looking forward to playing under the boss again!"
Kane has encountered somewhat of a topsy-turvy spell lately, with many questioning his capability to deliver in high-pressure games. He's his nation's all-time top scorer with 68 goals in 100 caps but has yet to captain his team to expected trophy success.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker hopes Tuchel is the man to finally guide the 1966 World Cup Champions to a major trophy. He'll likely be in charge when they head to the USA/Mexico/Canada for the 2026 World Cup.