Harry Kane has reportedly decided to keep playing for England, despite Sunday’s crushing Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
The 30-year-old scored three goals for the Three Lions at the tournament in Germany, bagging against the likes of Denmark, Slovakia and the Netherlands.
But Kane was well off the pace throughout the competition, with the Bayern Munich star cutting a lethargic figure at the tip of Gareth Southgate’s attack.
He was substituted in five of England’s seven matches, including the 2-1 defeat to Spain on Sunday night.
Harry Kane has reportedly decided to keep playing for England, despite Sunday’s crushing Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain
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Some have suggested Kane could be tempted to call time on his England career in the wake of such an agonising setback.
But The Telegraph say that won’t be happening, with the 30-year-old eager to keep on playing for his country.
It’s said he wants to take inspiration from Lionel Messi, who is still playing for Argentina at the ripe old age of 37.
Messi had to wait until the age of 34 to win his first major tournament with his country, with Argentina beating Brazil in the final of the Copa America in 2021.
He followed up that victory by firing Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
And Messi won his third piece of silverware with his country over the weekend, with Argentina beating Colombia 1-0 in this year’s Copa America final.
Kane loves playing for England and is the country’s highest goalscorer, having struck 66 times from 98 matches since making his debut back in 2015.
England do have other top strikers at their disposal, such as Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney of Aston Villa and Brentford respectively.
But Kane’s quality remains unparallelled, despite his difficulties this summer.
He enjoyed the highest-scoring season of his career last season, netting 44 goals from 45 matches for Bayern Munich.
And though he’s yet to win a trophy for either club or country, Kane remains as determined as ever to end that personal drought.
Gary Lineker, meanwhile, has suggested Kane could be tempted to retire from international football – citing his own experience in the process.
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Harry Kane consoled his England team-mates after their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 on Sunday night
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“Part of [looking to] the future in my mind was what England do, what does Harry Kane do? He was not himself in this tournament,” he said.
“He’s in his 30s now. When I was 30, 31, my legs started to go.
“I retired from international football at 32. At 31 that was happening [legs going] and it’s horrible, it’s horrible.”
The BBC presenter added: “I felt [it] in that last season – which is one of the reasons I decided to retire from international football, to finish in English football, to move to Japan.
Harry Kane scored 44 goals from 45 matches for Bayern Munich last season
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“I could feel my legs going. I was poor in that last [major tournament, Euro 92].
“I was made a martyr because Graham Taylor brought me off but he had every right to bring me off because I was passed my best. It happens to some people at some point.
“Maybe he was just tired or carrying a little something that affected him and that [his legs going] might not be the case.
“But I wonder. What is he, coming up to 31 now? That’s exactly the time when I started to feel that way.”