"Everyone has a high expectation" - Trent Alexander-Arnold responds to criticism from Gary Lineker during EURO 2024
English defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has responded to Gary Lineker's criticism of the team at Euro 2024. The pundit was particularly critical of the Three Lions for their performances in the continental tournament in Germany, even calling them "sh**" after their draw against Denmark.
Alexander-Arnold and his international teammates made it to the final of the tournament but fell 2-1 to Spain in Berlin.
The Liverpool defender believes Gary Lineker's criticism is par for the course for a team as widely scrutinized as the England national team. He told the Mirror:
"We had all seen it and heard it and felt it, We all knew that we could be playing and performing better. It is never nice for someone to point that out but everyone deep down knew it within ourselves, too."
"So it was something that we were already thinking about anyway, we knew we needed to be playing better. We had to add that to our performances, some players may have used that as motivation."
"Everyone has a high expectation with England now and rightly so, it is true of us as players. We feel we should be winning tournaments, that is the goal and standard we have set ourselves. That will be there for the new manager."
England manager Gareth Southgate stepped down after Euro 2024, leaving behind a team that made it to consecutive European Championship finals. They lost to Italy on penalties in the final of Euro 2024.
Harry Kane's reaction to Gary Lineker's criticism of England at Euro 2024
England captain Harry Kane had sharp words in response to criticism leveled at him and his international teammates at Euro 2024 by Gary Lineker. While the Three Lions were expected to have a good tournament, their style of play was far from exciting.
Gary Lineker, a former player-turned-pundit who earned 80 caps for England and scored 48 goals for them, was livid at how the Three Lions played. Kane, the country's all-time top-scorer, said during the tournament:
"What ex-players or ex-players who are pundits now have got to realize is it is very hard not to listen to it now, especially for some players who are not used to it or some players who are new to the environment."
"I always feel like they [pundits] have a responsibility – I know they have got to be honest and give their opinion but also, they have a responsibility of being an ex-England player that a lot of players look up to. People do listen to them and people do care what they say."
Kane scored three goals in the recently concluded tournament, taking his tally to 66 goals from 98 caps for England.