July 15th 2024.
Harry Kane had been struggling with a pesky back injury leading up to England's Euro 2024 campaign. Despite this setback, he was determined to give his all for his team, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned in the final against Spain.
After their 2-1 defeat, Kane openly admitted that he would have loved to have played better. However, he refused to use his back injury as an excuse for his performance. It was a tough pill to swallow for the England captain, as this was their second consecutive loss in the European Championship finals, making them the first team in history to suffer such a fate.
The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, with Spain taking the lead through Nico Williams' goal, only for England's Cole Palmer to equalize with a stunning strike. But just when it seemed like the game was headed into extra time, Mikel Oyarzabal scored in the 86th minute to secure Spain's record-breaking fourth Euro title.
For Kane, it was another difficult game where he struggled to make an impact. He was substituted after only playing for 61 minutes and was visibly dejected on the bench. This was a far cry from his usual form and it was clear that something was off.
Before the tournament, Kane had been dealing with a back injury that he sustained while playing for Bayern Munich. He even had to receive pain-killing injections in order to play for his club and ultimately missed their last game of the season in May. His former coach, Thomas Tuchel, revealed that the injury had affected even his everyday movements.
When questioned about the impact of his injury on his performance, Kane chose not to dwell on personal matters and instead focused on the difficulties of playing in a tournament. He acknowledged that every player faces their own challenges and that the tournament itself can be physically demanding.
In the final, England's manager Gareth Southgate made the tough decision to substitute Kane in the hopes of adding more pressure on Spain's defense. He praised Kane for his leadership and acknowledged that a lot had been placed on his shoulders, especially with the absence of key players like Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire.
In a separate interview, Southgate also mentioned that Kane's lack of game time leading up to the tournament may have affected his performance. He felt that bringing on a fresh player like Ollie Watkins would help add a new dimension to their attack and potentially create more opportunities to score.
Overall, it was a disappointing end to the tournament for Kane and England. But despite the challenges they faced, they can hold their heads high knowing that they gave it their all and fought until the very end.
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