Harry Kane says he is “fresh and fit” to play despite concerns, but adds that England have “not played the way we wanted” ahead of their final group game with Slovenia.
Kane missed Bayern Munich’s final game of the Bundesliga season with a back injury, and some have questioned whether he is still carrying a knock after a sluggish start of Euro 2024.
However, the Three Lions captain assured fans that he is ready and offered an insight into some of the tactics of his play so far.
“I physically feel fresh and fit,” he told a press conference. “I know sometimes when I’ve had bad games, there’s always someone looking for a reason why.
“It’s a heightened environment in a tournament and there’s been more chatter, but I feel fit and ready and I’ll play for as long as the manager wants me to.
“My preparation [for the tournament] was pretty good. The first game I felt as fit as I have all season. I came off last game [against Denmark] but that was down to the manager wanting to freshen things up.
“Going into this knockout phase I want to feel 100 per cent, and I feel as if I’m there.
Harry Kane scored his first Euro 2024 goal against Denmark, and was replaced in the second half
“Some games I will stay high, sometimes I’ll drop in. As a team we’re trying to find some fluidity, and we haven’t quite clicked right. But we’re all at a high level, that will come.
“Most importantly, with the ball we need to be better, keep the ball, play higher, and get in between the lines. That will come, but we need to go out and prove it. Hopefully that comes on Tuesday.”
Kane went on to admit that he and his England team-mates have not performed at their best so far in Germany, but called for calm with them top of Group C heading into the final game.
“Momentum is the right word,” the striker said. “Before the tournament if you said we’d be in a position to qualify after two games, we’d have taken it.
“We can be honest and say we have not played the way we wanted to up to now.
“Tuesday is important for the feeling of the group, for an all-round better feeling coming off the pitch and take that into the rest of the tournament. We want to finish top.
Harry Kane was made an offer he could not refuse by a local journalist ahead of England’s crucial Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia
“Calm is important. Most of us have been here and done it – we’ve given England fans some fantastic memories.
“After the tournament you can judge us. During the tournament, it’s down to us to get it right, and find how to do it right. We want to try and find a solution.
“We know 99 per cent of England fans are behind us, but everyone has a right to have an opinion.”
A win for England in Cologne on Tuesday would ensure they go through to the knockout rounds as group winners, and Kane hopes the team can use the match against Slovenia as a springboard for the rest of the tournament.
“We definitely want to win the group,” he said. “It’s not just to avoid [certain teams], but we want momentum in the knockout stages.
“We expect to finish top, but if we don’t, it’s not a panic. We want to put a marker down on Tuesday and use that for the rest of the tournament.
“We have a good environment where everyone talks openly and honestly. It’s positive messages. We know the reality of where we are, but we also know we can improve and get better. The new or younger players are catching onto that pretty quick.”