‘Amazed’ if Harry Kane did not play through injury at Euro 2024 - Gary Neville
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Published 15/07/2024 at 11:01 GMT
Former England defender Gary Neville says he would be “amazed” if Harry Kane was not “carrying some sort of injury” during Euro 2024. The captain was taken off after an hour of their 2-1 final defeat to Spain, but finished with three goals in seven games. Kane missed Bayern Munich’s last games of the club season because of a back problem.
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Former England defender Gary Neville says he has “no doubt” Harry Kane was inhibited by injury at Euro 2024 and would be “amazed” if he was not “patching himself up” to get through games.
The captain was taken off after around an hour of their 2-1 defeat to Spain in Sunday’s final in Berlin.
Kane missed Bayern Munich’s last games of the club season because of a back injury, but recovered to start all seven of England’s matches, scoring three goals.
But there has been criticism of the striker’s form throughout the tournament, with Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney in particular making impacts off the bench.
Manager Gareth Southgate gave a hint Kane was not at full fitness, admitting it had been “physically a tough period” for his skipper.
"Questions will be asked about Harry Kane's performance over the next few weeks,” Neville told Sky Sports News.
“I'd be amazed if Harry wasn't carrying some form of injury and patching himself up to get out there. Whether it will come out or not now, I'm not sure, because they lost in the manner they did.
"Physically, he never looked like himself during the tournament and everyone could see that. It's not a technical or performance thing - this is England's best player ever in this position. It's more about his mobility around the pitch. There is no doubt he wasn't free and Gareth took him off relatively early.
"Gareth has a lot of experience managing at these tournaments but Kane's performances were nowhere near the standards he's set. If it does emerge he was patching himself up, then there might be further questions about why he was picked. It does feel like he was carrying something to me."
Kane himself told BBC Radio 5 Live it had been a “tough tournament” but refused to blame any potential issues with his back.
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“Everyone is dealing with issues and you’re at your maximum physical capabilities and it was just the way the game panned out today and the way the tournament’s gone,” he said.
“Of course, from a personal point of view I would have loved to have played better tonight and it would’ve been a different outcome but unfortunately it wasn’t.”
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