The Manchester United full-back insists that the misfiring forward remains a “crucial player” for the Three Lions despite his recent struggles
Luke Shaw has backed Harry Kane following his subdued start to Euro 2020, describing the England captain as “the best striker in the world”.
Kane led the line during England’s 1-0 victory against Croatia in their opening Group D fixture, and retained his place in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI for a crunch clash against Scotland at Wembley on Friday.
The Tottenham star struggled to find a path to goal in the win over Croatia, but had an even more frustrating night against the Scots as he only managed 19 touches during the disappointing 0-0 draw.
Shaw defends Kane
Kane has faced widespread criticism for his latest performance at international level, but Shaw has no doubts about the 27-year-old’s ability and says he still has a key role to play in the team as the tournament progresses.
The Manchester United full-back told reporters: “There is no concern at all. For me, Harry is the best striker in the world. He is a very important part of this team. In fact, almost the most important part of the team. Whether he has not been at his best or not, he is a crucial player for us.
“If his performances aren’t as people expected, this happens in tournament football and you can score a goal at any moment. He is such a crucial player on and off the pitch. He has all our backing and I’m not worried at all.”
What has Southgate said?
It has been suggested that Southgate should drop Kane for the Three Lions’ final pool meeting with the Czech Republic, which they must win or draw to make sure of their place in the round of 16.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Marcus Rashford are waiting in the wings for an opportunity to shine, but Southgate has promised to stick with his skipper.
“You can assume that [Kane will start], yes, absolutely,” said the England boss. “He is fundamental not only to the goals he scores but the build-up play and everything else he brings.”
Shaw’s assessment of Scotland performance
Shaw went on to admit that England fell well below expectations against Scotland, before urging his team-mates to put that result behind them and focus on improving against the Czechs.
“Of course, there is no denying there is a lot of disappointment,” he said. “There should always be expectation. The team we have is undoubtedly very strong with the talent we have. Maybe this has brought us back down to earth and made us realise that it is not going to be easy. Every game is going to be tough.
“Our aim is to be here for seven games and this is a point in the right direction. We will sit down and watch the game back and analyse what we have to do better because there are things that we could have done better as a team.
“Between us all we always demand high standards and that is a fact, we always have to deliver and try our best. Maybe in the Scotland game, we weren’t at our best and that shows. But it is another clean sheet.
“We still have another big game on Tuesday and we have to forget about this one and be ready.”
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