We’ve known for a long time how lethal Harry Kane is in the box.
And with one of his cleanest strikes for England, Kane put footballer-turned-pundit Gary Lineker firmly back in his. With a clinical swing of his right foot, Kane kicked Lineker straight in the place it hurts the most, in response to him branding England ‘sh*t’.
“The bottom line is we haven’t won anything as a nation for a long, long time, and a lot of these players were part of that as well,” said Kane. “They know how tough it is, so it’s not digging anyone out, it’s just the reality that they do know it is tough to play in these major tournaments – and tough to play for England.”
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In other words, Gary, show us you’re England medals mate. Ooomph. Don’t rub those balls, count them instead. Kane’s message was clear.
And he was absolutely within his rights as England captain to deliver it. Pots, kettles and all that stuff.
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Type ‘Lineker and ‘sh*t’ into Google, and one of the first things that comes up is when the ex-England striker had an unfortunate accident in his shorts on the pitch, while playing at the 1990 World Cup. Fast forward almost 25 years and Lineker might be sitting uncomfortably once again.
Yet, while Kane took aim at Lineker, he was also referencing some of his fellow pundits in general. And making a much wider point about how the likes of Lineker, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney should keep in mind the impact their harsh words could have on the mental welfare of younger players in Gareth Southgate‘s squad.
Those without the experience of just how brutal the goldfish bowl of a major tournament can be. Just imagine what the likes of Marc Geuhi might think when they see or hear someone as supposedly respected as Lineker trolling them on one of the gazillion podcasts dedicated to the beautiful game?
(Image: Getty Images)
Lineker, Shearer and Rooney all captained their country. And while their views and opinions are interesting and important, they also have a responsibility to be polite, measured and constructive in what they say.
Take Rooney, for example? In queuing up to land pot shots on Southgate, England’s former leading scorer hammered the Three Lions boss for being unable to solve the problems his players had presented him with, during two mediocre performances at Euro 2024.
And there we have it. A bloke who made a complete horlicks of managing the mighty Derby County and Birmingham (where he lasted just 15 games), taking to task a bloke who has led England to a World Cup semi final and Euros final.
(Image: Getty Images)
The power of the pundit has never been as influential. Football these days is analysed and dissected to ridiculous levels. Quite frankly, it’s monotonous and tedious in equal measure.
With classic timing and irony, Lineker’s last Tweet before this episode was to welcome the news his former pundit and colleague Alan Hansen had been discharged from hospital following a life-threatening illness. Hansen wasn’t always right when critiquing football, but he was always classy and composed.
Lineker & Co take note.