Jamie Carragher has suggested in the Telegraph that Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane looked exhausted yesterday.
Kane was subbed off with 10 minutes to go, as England picked up a 1-0 win over Croatia at Wembley.
The Tottenham striker hadn’t had the influence on the game many were expecting going into it.
And Carragher says that Kane didn’t seem to be at his energetic best.
“Two thoughts occurred to me as Gareth Southgate prepared to bring on Jude Bellingham in the 82nd minute of England’s encouraging open win.” Carragher said.
“The first was that he had to take off Harry Kane. The second was that it should have happened 10 minutes earlier.
“Kane barely featured in the victory and looked exhausted. Brave as it seems for an England manager to substitute his captain, it was the right and obvious call.”
Carragher also feels that the Tottenham striker has gradually got slower as the years have passed, which means that he now often drops deep.
“That fundamental change in his game over the past two years is due to necessity, not design,” Carragher added.
“Kane does not lead the press, chase down the full-backs and try to play off the shoulder of the last defender any more. He has become a different player because he no longer has the energy and pace he possessed when he was 24 under Mauricio Pochettino.
“That evolution happens to all strikers.”
It should be noted that Carragher’s words weren’t designed as a criticism, as he pointed out to a Spurs fan on Twitter.
England expects
It is also worth remembering that Kane goes into this tournament on the back of arguably his best season for Tottenham.
Kane may have had more prolific campaigns, but to finish as the Premier League’s top scorer and top of the assist charts, is an amazing achievement.
Kane’s best chance yesterday came from a cross from Mason Mount, but he could not convert at the far post.
England’s next game comes against Scotland on Friday, when the Three Lions will hope that their captain can open his goalscoring account.
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