Gareth Southgate confessed Harry Kane had not ‘has not quite ‘reached the level we all would have hoped’ after he was hauled off after just 60 minutes of England’s Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s dramatic 86h minute winner gave La Roja a deserved win and inflicted more pain on the Three Lions and their beleagured skipper.
Kane ended the tournament with another three goals under his belt, but in truth he failed to showcase anything like his best form.
Indeed, in the final it self, England looked a far more coherent attacking force once he had been replaced by semi-final hero Ollie Watkins.
England suffer Euro 2024 final heartbreak to Spain – as it happened
England equalised soon after Kane’s removal when Cole Palmer provided a fitting end to a flowing move that involved Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham.
Asked to explain why Kane had looked a shadow of the striker that topped the Bundesliga goalscoring charts last season, Southgate said: ‘Physically it has been tough for him. He came into the tournament short on games and has not quite reached the level we all would have hoped.
‘The games are hugely demanding and we thought Ollie’s freshness would allow us to press better and offer a press in behind. I thought the substitutes came on and did what we asked them to do.’
Despite a second successive European Championship final defeat, Southgate maintained he was proud of a group of player who had given their all.
He said: ‘We’ve competed until the very end of the final. I think today we didn’t keep possession of the ball quite well enough.
‘We defended well but when you win the ball back you need to get out of that pressure. And we weren’t able to do that.
‘That meant they had more control of the game and that can wear you down a bit.
‘That said we got the equaliser and then it was wide open. A big chance at the end to equalise so as always it is fine margins.
‘I do think they were the best team in the tournament.’