"There is no doubt in my mind" – Alan Shearer chooses who among Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins should be in England XI for Euro 2024 final
England great Alan Shearer has stated that Harry Kane will start over Ollie Watkins in The Three Lions' UEFA Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin this Sunday (July 14).
Kane, 30, has recently received a lot of scrutiny from fans and pundits alike due to his lethargic displays in Germany of late. But, the Bayern Munich striker scored his third goal of the tournament in his side's 2-1 semi-final win over Netherlands earlier on Wednesday (July 10).
Watkins, on the other hand, was in the headlines after scoring the crucial winner in England's Euro 2024 semi-final contest. He directed his right-footed shot past Bart Verbruggen in the 90th minute of the clash.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer claimed that England manager Gareth Southgate will pick Kane over the Aston Villa forward in the upcoming Euro 2024 final. He said:
"There is no doubt in my mind, he starts with his captain. Weirdly enough, [Kane] is the joint top-scorer [at the tournament]. If need be [in the game], he changes it again [by bringing Watkins off the bench]. He's not leaving the captain out, no chance. I think that's the right decision also, there's no way I would leave Harry Kane out of the team."
Last season, Kane relished a sensational maiden campaign at Bayern Munich. He helped his side finish third in the Bundesliga standings, registering 44 goals and 12 assists in 45 matches across competitions.
Watkins, 28, guided Aston Villa to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League last season. He found the back of the opposition net 27 times and recording 13 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Gareth Southgate offers thoughts on Spain ahead of England's Euro 2024 encounter
At a pre-match press conference, England boss Gareth Southgate lavished praise on Spain for their stellar campaign at the ongoing Euro 2024. The 53-year-old said (h/t Metro):
"They would be rightly favorites for what they have done this tournament. They have been the best team. They have got a day longer and in the last three finals, maybe more, it has been quite significant, so we have got to get our recovery spot on. Tactically we will have to be perfect as they are such a good side."
So far, Spain has won all six of their matches at the Euro 2024.
England, on the other hand, have registered four wins and two draws.