Harry Kane left several big names out when he named his all-time England XI - and not everyone will agree.
England captain and record goal scorer Kane, 31, is already a Three Lions legend in his own right and helped the side reach the last two European Championship finals as well as a World Cup semi-final and quarter-final.
But who did he choose when he put together his all-time England XI in May 2024?
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Well, he chose current Everton and England number one Jordan Pickford as his goalkeeper.
Speaking to England Football, Kane said: “I'm going to start off with Pickers. We're good mates, we like to play golf together, and he's been a big part of our journey since 2018. I've got a lot of good memories with him, particularly the penalty shootout against Colombia at the World Cup.”
The Bayern Munich striker then opted for Kyle Walker at right-back.
On Walker, Kane explained: “Kyle, again, is a really good friend, but he has also been one of our most consistently good performers. He will go down as one of the best right-backs England has ever had, if not the best.”
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Then came his centre-back picks, and he left out Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, and Ledley King instead selecting Harry Maguire and John Terry.
On Terry, Kane said: “I loved the way he put his body on the line for his country. You could see how much he loved playing for England, and then when he was captain, I remember the famous clip of him diving with his head to block the shot. I remember loving that aspect of his game."
Kane then went for former Chelsea and Arsenal star Ashley Cole at left-back.
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Moving into midfield, the 31-year-old explained how “David Beckham was my favourite player growing up” when naming him as his right-winger.
Kane revealed: “I will remember the Greece free-kick forever, as I know a lot of England fans will. He was from Chingford, where I'm from, and went to the same school as me when he was growing up. I met him when I was young, and I loved everything about him.”
Arguably, the biggest call came when naming his centre-midfielders.
But Paul Scholes missed out as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard got the nod from Kane.
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Kane gave reasons for his choice, he said: “I loved watching Lampard score for England, and I loved his mentality. He always wanted to be involved and have an effect on the game. There have been some amazing midfielders for England, but for him to score the goals he did, he has to be in next to Becks.”
The Bayern man added: “Just for the memories, I have to go to Gerrard as well. Similar reasons, really, he was an amazing player and one of the best ever to wear the shirt. He played with a real hunger and desire, and he seems really down-to-earth. He obviously went on to captain England as well, so he had all the attributes, and he would have been a joy to play with."
Kane then chose Raheem Sterling as his left winger before moving up the field to the strikers.
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The Londoner went for a strike partnership of Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.
“Wayne is in, for sure,” Kane said.
“He was my captain when I got into the team and was obviously England's all-time goalscorer. One of the best England players ever, and I just loved watching him. It was a pleasure to play with him, and he was also a great guy. He welcomed me in really well and spoke to me about what playing for England is all about and the expectations. As a captain, he was great at that, and I've tried to do the same thing with new players who come in now. He left a great impression on me."
He continued: “There are so many options, but I think I would go with Owen as my final striker. I was five when he scored that goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, so I was the kind of age where you start to remember. And then 2002 was probably the tournament I remember most, and he was a big part of the team then. It was a shame injuries hampered Owen a little bit, but the way he burst onto the scene and the goals he scored was incredible.”
Despite his omission from the starting XI, Kane did name Scholes in his ‘honourable mentions’ section with Jordan Henderson, Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne as well as several other ex-players.
Topics: Harry Kane, Football, Premier League, England, Bayern Munich, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard
Luke Davies