Gary Lineker has responded to Harry Kane’s reaction to his critical analysis of England at Euro 2024.
Lineker had branded England’s performance in Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Denmark as “s***” and outlined how he thought Kane – substituted in the second half – “needs to do better”. The former comment was put to Kane at Sunday’s press conference.
“I would never disrespect any ex-player,” Kane replied. “All I would say is remember what it is like to wear the shirt and that their words are listened to. Some of the lads, I don’t know how many, but we do hear it.
“We all want to win a major tournament and I’m sure they want us to win a major tournament and being as helpful as they can and building the lads up with confidence would be a much better way of going about it.”
Lineker had delivered a lengthy analysis of Kane’s display against Denmark during the BBC’s broadcast of the match, with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards also giving their views.
The former Three Lions trio appear on The Rest is Football podcast, the previous episode of which Lineker had made the expletive remark about England’s performance while speaking to Shearer.
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He’d also suggested that boss Gareth Southgate had been “insulting” by saying England lacked a replacement for Kalvin Phillips.
And now, both Lineker and Shearer have now responded to Kane’s press conference comments in the latest podcast episode, admitting they had no issue with Kane’s response but stood by their comments.
Lineker said: “I get it [comment put to Kane by journalist] and it puts Harry on the spot. But I actually thought he answered it fine with one or two bits in there, but it’s not easy when you’re thrown that kind of thing.”
Shearer added: “We’ve both been there as England captains when you’re sat in front of the media when England have not played well at all, or you as an individual.
“And I would have answered the question in exactly the same way as England captain as Harry did yesterday. He just said they are entitled to their opinion, I understand they also have a job to do – and we do, we have to tell it.”
Lineker responded: “Can you imagine if we went on and said ‘well, I thought they played really well’? We’d be lying for a start because they didn’t play well and Harry knows that they didn’t play well.
“And there’s one bit there – which, you know, I understand – where he said ‘they have responsibilities being ex-England players and they should know, they know what it’s like. It’s not like they’ve won anything’ or words to that effect.
“Fine – and he’s absolutely right. But I will say one thing: The last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical.
“We want the England team to perform well on the pitch, the best punditry of all is when England play well and we’re excited and enthusiastic about them and say ‘this performance was great, that performance was great’.
“We don’t want to be critical. But we have to be sometimes. We have to say – but we did it balanced as well.”
Shearer went on to add: “I’ve no problem with what he said. And I wouldn’t take anything back we said. They were really poor and I think the vast majority of journalists and the country – and even the boys themselves in the squad will know – they were awful against Denmark.
“There were hardly any positives at all. But we also said one spark and that could easily kick them on and start the tournament.”
Lineker concluded: “And you know and I know, that there’s no way the players have been listening to the entirety of our comments., whether on the television or here on The Rest Is Football.
“They won’t know the nuance and the balance, always balanced it by saying they could do better and it’s never personal.”