Harry Kane, the England captain, has issued a warning to his teammates, declaring that they won’t have everything their way at the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament. Kane believes the recent 1-0 defeat to Iceland can serve as a wake-up call for the team, reminding them of the need to raise their standards and improve their performance.

The Bayern Munich star didn’t hold back in his assessment, stating that they fell below their usual standards without the ball. He acknowledged that while there were spells of good football and chances created, there wasn’t enough hunger in the duels and second balls. Kane emphasized the importance of sustaining pressure and suffocating their opponents, which they failed to do against Iceland.

“There is a lot of work to do,” Kane said. “Sometimes, you need this wake-up call. There are areas we need to improve, especially with our pressure. The group games are going to be very similar to this. We are going to have to defend well, especially the longer balls, and with the ball, we need to be a bit more patient. It is one to look back on.”

Kane reflects on his penalty miss against France at the 2022 World Cup

Kane continued his honest assessment, saying, “We fell below our standards without the ball and that is something we have to review and get better with.”

He acknowledged the team’s positive spells but stressed the need for clinical finishing: “We had spells where we did well and played some really nice football and created some good chances. But against these types of teams, especially, you have to be more clinical.”

The England captain also pointed out the areas where they fell short: “There probably wasn’t enough hunger in the duels, in the second balls, and winning those. They are a big important part when you are playing these teams, to sustain the pressure and really suffocate them. We didn’t do that well.”

Looking back at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he missed a penalty against France, Kane described the experience as “pretty s***.” However, he assured that he has moved on from that low point and is excited for another major tournament.

“Pretty s***, wasn’t it?” Kane said, referring to the penalty miss and loss to France. “In football, you are going to have ups and downs on the way. Of course, that was a down for me at the moment, but I think over two years, for club and country, I have put that to bed and I am just excited for another major tournament.”

Gareth Southgate’s England lost 1-0 to Iceland in a warm-up match for Euro 2024

Kane believes there is a real hunger in the England squad after their Euro 2020 final loss

With the Euros just around the corner, Kane expressed optimism about England’s chances, citing the strong performances of the players at their clubs and their hunger to improve on their Euro 2020 final loss.

“Being so close in the last Euros [beaten in the final], there is a real hunger to be back. It comes around quick, if I’m honest. We had the World Cup and we are back here again. I feel like we are on the right path,” he added.

However, Kane also acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “But as we all know, it is really difficult to win these tournaments. There are a lot of things that you have to do right and prepare right, and you need a bit of luck here and there. Every winner does. We have that mindset that we can achieve it. We also know there is a lot of hard work from now until the final in July.”