July 12th 2024.
As the Euro 2024 final draws near, Gary Neville has some thoughts on the potential lineup for England. Specifically, he believes that it would not be a wise decision for manager Gareth Southgate to drop Harry Kane for the big game. In his opinion, this would send a negative message to the rest of the squad.
There has been increasing pressure for Southgate to consider benching Kane, especially after substitute Ollie Watkins scored a late winner in the semi-final against the Netherlands. While Kane did struggle to make an impact in that game, he did manage to win and score a crucial penalty to bring England back on level terms. This marked his third goal of the tournament, tying him for the top scorer spot.
Neville, a former England player himself, has high praise for Kane, even comparing him to the legendary Wayne Rooney. He believes that Kane is a solid and reliable player, and he would not argue with Rooney's opinion that Kane is the greatest England player ever. However, Neville does acknowledge that Kane may not be at his best in this tournament, and he suspects that he may be dealing with some injury issues that he is trying to hide.
Despite the criticism and doubts surrounding Kane's performance, Neville is confident that Southgate will not drop him from the starting lineup. He believes that it would not be a good message to send to the rest of the team, as Kane is clearly their leader and Southgate has full faith in him. Additionally, Neville points out that Kane is England's talisman and their top scorer in the tournament, which makes him a vital part of the team's success.
Looking ahead to the final against Spain, Neville believes that Kane's name on the teamsheet will make a difference for England. He acknowledges that Spain is a fantastic team, but they will be wary of Kane's abilities and will expect him to start. And even if things are not going well for England, Neville believes that they have strong substitutes like Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins who can come off the bench and make an impact.
Spain, England's opponents in the final, have had an impressive run so far, finishing at the top of their group and defeating tough teams like Germany and France in the knockout stages. But Neville is confident that England, with Kane leading the charge, has what it takes to come out on top in Berlin.
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