Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: England, Harry Kane, Gareth Southgate, Lee Carsley , UEFA Nations League
Ben McCrum
Topics: England, Harry Kane, Gareth Southgate, Lee Carsley , UEFA Nations League
Harry Kane has taken aim at several of his England teammates and their recent actions in a brutal interview ahead of the Nations League.
On Thursday evening, England will face Greece in the first of their two final Nations League matches this season.
However, interim manager Lee Carsley will be without many of his biggest names after several players pulled out of the England squad to remain with their clubs and recover from injuries.
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And now, England captain Kane has spoken out against his teammates, criticising them for their absence from the international camp.
While speaking to ITV Football ahead of the match against Greece, Kane was asked for the one thing that former manager Gareth Southgate brought to the England team that he and other players in the squad need to preserve.
"I think the joy to play for England, I think he brought that back," replied the 31-year-old.
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"Every camp people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and that's the most important thing.
"I think England comes before anything. It comes before club and it is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer.
“Gareth was hot on that and he wasn’t afraid and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that started to drift from certain players."
The England captain was then asked to clarify if he felt that this feeling had drifted this week, which saw eight of England's top stars pull out of the squad.
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Kane responded: "It’s a shame this week obviously. Yeah, I think it’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit.
“I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think as I just said there England comes before before anything, any club situation."
On Monday, it was confirmed that eight players had pulled out of the squad for England's Nations League clashes with Greece and Ireland.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold, who sustained a hamstring injury against Aston Villa last weekend, will be absent alongside Levi Colwill, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Cole Palmer, Aaron Ramsdale and Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
Instead, West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen, Jarrad Branthwaite, Tino Livramento, James Trafford and Morgan Rogers, have all been called up to the squad for Carsley's final games as interim manager.