Harry Kane, captain of the England team, will play in his second European Championship final.
Photo: AFP – KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
At Tottenham, at Bayern Munich and with England, Harry Kane has accumulated many goals, but he has yet to win a single title. About to turn 31, the captain of the ‘Three Lions’ could correct that anomaly on Sunday, in the Euro 2024 final.
The best English scorer in history, nicknamed ‘Prince Harry’ by the general public or simply ‘H’ by his relatives, is shaking all the European networks, but at the moment there is no trophy removed by him.
If talking about a curse seems exaggerated, the truth is that the London-born scorer has written a golden page in history with more than 400 goals scored between the clubs and the national team, without this being transferred to a happy ending.
“It’s no secret that I haven’t won a collective trophy yet. “Every year that goes by I’m more motivated and determined to change it,” Kane said Saturday at a press conference from the Olympic stadium in Berlin.
This Sunday “we have a chance to win one of the biggest trophies possible and make history with my nation,” he said on the eve of the final and was sure it would change “everything in his career” for that victory. .
With Tottenham ‘Spurs’ he missed two League Cup finals (2015, 2021), finished second in the Premier League in 2017 and missed the 2019 Champions League final.
There is no trophy in his record
The center forward left the capital of England last summer to embellish his CV at the almighty Bayern Munich, one of the most successful clubs on the continent, who paid 100 million euros (108 million dollars) and 10 more in bonuses to take him to Bavaria.
Kane adapted perfectly to the Munich team, scoring a total of 44 goals in 45 games, but Bayern finished the season without a title for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.
With England, the No. 9 touched the nation’s dream in the Euro 2021 Cup final against Italy at Wembley. The captain fulfilled and converted the first penalty of the final shootout, which was lost after the failure of three other young English players, who could not withstand the pressure.
The new final against Spain in Berlin, the country where he is now playing, is presented as an opportunity to forget all past disappointments.
Holy union with Southgate
His team was close to elimination in the round of 16 against Slovakia (2-1 after extra time), started behind against Switzerland (1-1, 5-3 on penalties) and again against the Netherlands (2- 1), in the game. one who received and turned to bind a penalty.
The captain himself has not avoided criticism from former England internationals who are now “puntits”, media commentators with a reputation for not mincing their words.
Gareth Southgate, questioned throughout the Euro Cup about Kane’s performance, took a step forward and defended the central role from the pitch. “He leads the team in an incredible way, he has a very positive influence on the group,” especially on the “young players”.
Against the Netherlands, the coach did not hesitate to replace him with ten minutes left in the game, without such a decision as a lack of respect. Between coach and captain, the union is sacred.
15 goals in four competitions
“I have a lot of respect for him. I love him, he is one of the greatest English footballers of all time, our greatest goalscorer. But nothing happens if he doesn’t play 90 minutes,” defended Gary Lineker, former Tottenham and England star striker, when asked by The Guardian newspaper before the final.
No European player has scored more goals than Kane in the last four major international competitions: fifteen in total, split between World Cup 2018 (six), Euro 2021 (four), World Cup 2022 (two) and the Euro Cup 2024 (through).
“The trip was difficult, but there is one game left. 90 or 120 minutes, penalties, whatever it is, we’ll be there. I want to be there.”
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