SoccerNews
Harry Kane is England’s greatest ever player and a certainty to start Sunday’s Euro 2024 final versus Spain, says former Three Lions defender Gary Neville.
Kane has scored three goals to help England to a second straight Euros final, including an equaliser from the penalty spot in Wednesday’s semi-final win over the Netherlands.
However, the Bayern Munich star’s performance levels have been criticised throughout the tournament and it was his replacement from the bench, Ollie Watkins, who steered England into the final with a last-minute winner versus the Oranje.
Ivan Toney also replaced Kane to good effect against Switzerland in the quarter-finals, converting a no-look penalty as England triumphed on spot-kicks, and some have suggested Gareth Southgate should drop his captain for Sunday’s Berlin showpiece.
Neville disagrees, pointing to the fact his nine knockout-stage goals at World Cups or European Championships are the most of any European player in history.
“I spoke to Wayne Rooney four or five weeks ago before the tournament started and he said Harry Kane is the greatest England player ever,” Neville told Sky Sports News. “I wouldn’t fight to disagree with him.
“Harry Kane has been absolutely sensational. I always called him gold when he was at Tottenham, you just know full well that he’s going to deliver for you. He’s a solid character.
“I think he’s obviously below his best in this tournament, it does look like he is carrying something and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it emerged in a week or two that he’s had issues during the tournament with something that he’s trying to bandage up.
“You look at that record now and some of the greatest goalscorers of all time are on that list. Harry Kane is someone who will not be dropped by Gareth Southgate.
“I know there is a sense that people think we are better without him, but it wouldn’t send a great message to the squad internally. He’s very clearly their leader and Southgate has full, total faith in him.
“I also think if you’re the opposition team, he is England’s talisman. He’s the man who has gone over to Germany this year and has ripped it up from a goalscoring perspective.”
As well becoming the first England captain to lift a major trophy on foreign soil, Kane could add the Golden Boot to the one he won at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Dani Olmo is currently ahead of him in the running by virtue of recording two assists, with both players level on three goals.