HARRY KANE insists England ‘know what it takes’ to get to the World Cup final — and he is fit enough to lead the charge.
The Three Lions skipper accepts the criticism that has come since the goalless draw against USA, while boss Gareth Southgate says Phil Foden still has a big part to play despite being an unused sub last Friday.
And ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Wales, Kane reminded the fans that England also drew 0-0 with Scotland in the group stages at Euro 2020 and marched into the final against Italy.
Asked about “the noise” around the poor performance against the USA, he said: “The team are pretty used to it.
“We go from a 6-2 win against Iran and everyone is talking about us winning the tournament.
“And then we have not a bad result – a 0-0 draw against the USA – and of course people have their opinions. But that’s part and parcel of major tournament football.
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“When we look back at the Euros, for example, it was very similar. After we drew to Scotland there was a lot of noise after that game.
“But we are focused on ourselves. We know what it takes to get to a major championship final.
“Yeah, hopefully it will be more of the same if we stay focused on what we need to do.”
Kane got a foot injury in the opening Group B game against Iran but played 90 minutes against USA.
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The Tottenham striker, two behind Wayne Rooney’s 53-goal England scoring record, was not at his best on Friday night.
But Kane, 29, has told Southgate his injury is not an issue and that he has played on with far worse.
The manager is likely to stick with most of the XI he used in both the first two games, with just a couple of late decisions to make.
Manchester City star Foden was one player who did not play against the States, with many pundits questioning Southgate’s decision to not even bring him on as a sub.
But Southgate has told the playmaker he can still play a major part in the tournament.
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Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford were preferred off the bench in the drab draw.
Southgate will make a call tomorrow whether to stick with the 4-3-3 formation he used in the opening two games, or switch to a back three against Wales.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
