"You can tell some of the other players look up to him" - Pundit wants England star to start Euro 2024 final despite sub-par performances
Former England striker and pundit Teddy Sheringham has revealed that he wants to see Harry Kane starting their EURO 2024 final clash against Spain. The captain hasn't found his finest form in the competition, but he remains one of the better players in the squad with his goal output.
In six games so far, the Bayern Munich forward has scored three goals and is the joint-top scorer in the tournament. One came in open play when the ball bounced kindly for him to score in their draw against Denmark in the group stage. The next goal came in the Round of 16, as he headed in the ball to secure the win over Slovakia early in extra time.
His final goal came from the spot as he converted after getting fouled in the box during the Netherlands semi-final clash. However, he has often struggled to link up with the other players. He has yet to provide a quality performance like substitute Ollie Watkins did to seal their seat in the EURO 2024 final. Notably, the Aston Villa striker came on for Kane in the 81st minute, and nine minutes later, he powered England to beat the Netherlands 2-1.
However, Teddy Sheringham wants to see Harry Kane start in the final, as he explained to Online Poker (via DAZN):
“Harry Kane should 100% still start on Sunday against Spain instead of Ollie Watkins. I don’t think he’s looked as mobile as he has done in the past couple of years, but for me, he still leads the line well and you can tell some of the other players look up to him. If he’s offered a chance in front of goal, he’ll take it.
“He hasn’t had the best tournament by his standards, but if he scores one in the final then he’ll likely end up with the Golden Boot – so things can’t be that bad!”
Indeed, with three goals to his name, Harry Kane could potentially win the Golden Boot. He will be hoping that Dani Olmo, who also has three goals and will likely feature for Spain in the final, does not score.
EURO 2024: Spain and England face off in final
All 74,475 seats at the Olympiastadion Berlin are set to be full when England fans and Spain fans show up to watch their respective sides potentially lift the trophy. The two teams were able to get through to the final, each winning 2-1 against their opponents in the semi-finals. The Three Lions beat the Netherlands while La Roja beat France.
England have not been on top of their game, though. In six EURO 2024 appearances, they have scored seven goals, and this low goalscoring form may affect them. The Spaniards have done much better, scoring 13 goals in six games.
Spain have also made their journey to the EURO 2024 final without drawing or losing a single match, while the Three Lions have had three draws. Harry Kane's side have also needed a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals to get through their EURO 2024 journey.