'England before anything': Harry Kane disappointed by England squad withdrawals

Harry Kane has suggested some England players have forgotten the importance of representing their country after nine players withdrew from the team ahead of a must-win match on Thursday.

Interim boss Lee Carsley’s initial 26-man squad was meant to play Greece at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, in what could secure them an automatic promotion in the Nations League.

But nine players have since dropped out, including Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill and Aaron Ramsdale. England must win the match to stand a chance of automatic promotion in the Nations League.

Speaking to ITV Sport on Wednesday, the England captain suggested new head coach Thomas Tuchel’s delayed arrival has been taken advantage of, calling it a "shame".

"Yeah, look, I think it’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think, like I just said there, England comes before anything, any club situation,” Kane said.

Asked if there was one thing former manager Gareth Southgate put in place that senior players need to ensure is not lost, the striker said: “I think the joy to play for England. I think he brought that back.

“I think every camp people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and, yeah, that’s the most important thing.

“I think England comes before anything. England comes before club.

“England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer and Gareth was hot on that and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if, you know, that started to drift from certain players."

Due to the withdrawals, the team Carsley names on Thursday night could have an unfamiliar look to it, with some reports suggesting Kane may start on the bench with the likes of Curtis Jones and Lewis Hall given starts.

England will face the Republic of Ireland in Wembley on Sunday, though it is unclear whether Kane will be part of the starting 11.

The interim England boss told reporters on Wednesday: “It is important that we make the most of this situation. With the amount of players that have pulled out, it gives other players the opportunity to be here. We’re looking forward to the game.”

Carsley said none of the current squad have spoken to him about the issue brought up by Kane and dismissed a suggestion club versus country situation is brewing.

“With the amount of pull-outs we’ve had in this window, historically it has been like that in the past. November has always been a challenging window,“ he said. “The players who are currently here fully deserve to be here and are ready for the game tomorrow.”

Asked if he found the withdrawals personally disrespectful, Carsley said: “No, not at all.

“Look at the players we’ve brought in. It is really a proud moment for them. The focus is on the players that are here, not the ones that aren’t.”

Tuchel was appointed by the FA as the next permanent head coach for England in October. His 18-month contract will begin on January 1, 2025 until the summer of 2026.

Explaining why Tuchel is starting in January, FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham: “We were always really clear with Lee that he had three international windows to run the Nations League and we think that was the right thing to do.

“Thomas was always clear that he wanted his absolute focus on the World Cup."

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...