“They have a responsibility of being an ex-England player" - Harry Kane responds to criticism from Gary Lineker ahead of Slovenia Euro 2024 clash
England captain Harry Kane has responded to Gary Lineker's criticisms, as the Three Lions make preparations for their final EURO 2024 group-stage match against Slovenia. The Bayern Munich striker was the goalscorer for his country in their most recent 1-1 draw against Denmark. In their first group-stage clash against Serbia, it was Jude Bellingham who scored the only goal as they won 1-0.
While their outing against the Serbians was poor, it helped that they took home all three points to start their EURO 2024 campaign on a strong footing. However, a drab performance didn't cut it against the Danes, as the draw put down their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages a bit.
England legend Gary Lineker slammed the squad and head coach Gareth Southgate on The Rest is Football podcast after the Denmark game. He said (via Independent):
“If anyone says that the England team is not trying or not giving 100 per cent, that is nonsense. They’re just a little bit lost tactically. And that comes from the manager, I’m afraid. It really does... I mean, you can think of all sorts of words and expletives if you like, but it was s***. Was it tactically inept?"
Harry Kane responded to these criticisms, reminding Lineker that the legend also failed to win any trophies with the Three Lions:
“What maybe ex-players have got to realise is that it’s very hard not to listen to it. They have a responsibility of being an ex-England player that a lot of players look up to, people do care about what they say... We haven’t won [anything] for a long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well and they know how tough it is.”
Harry Kane will be hoping he can lead the Three Lions to a more impressive outing against Slovenia on June 25, who they are clear favorites over. They lead Group C at EURO 2024 with four points, sitting two points above Denmark.
Two England players had a heated exchange during EURO 2024 training session: Reports
After their EURO 2024 draw against Denmark, reports out of England have revealed that two players in the Three Lions camp had a heated exchange during training. According to The Sun (via Express), the players involved were full-backs Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier.
Walker reportedly made a statement that Trippier wasn't too pleased with, which saw the Newcastle United man gesticulate in a heated response. It took Phil Foden coming between both players to help calm the situation down, the report revealed.
England will need to get back into strong form when they face Slovenia, as a win would ensure they finish at the top of their group. Even a draw would be enough depending upon the other result.