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| Harry Kane after one of England’s matches at Euro 2020.Frank AugsteinPOOL |
Harry Kane will lead England into their first major tournament final for almost sixty years when England take on Italy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, yet ahead of the Euro 2020 showpiece event the 27-year-old has admitted that the team is feeling an extra level of excitement.
Gareth Southgate has attempted to make his players approach the fixture as just another game on their journey, yet Kane was quick to admit that there are certain feelings which being in a final evoke.
“We have broken down barriers throughout tournament, there is an extra level of excitement and emotion [ahead of the final], but we started with the goal of winning the tournament and we have that opportunity [in our hands],” Kane explained in his pre-match press conference.
“To see the fans in the streets and the reception we got when we arrived and the training ground and left the hotel, it shows us what kind of occasion this is.”
Scoring one goal in Sunday’s final will be enough for Kane to secure his place as England‘s highest-ever tournament goalscorer, and he needs just one to level Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally for Euro 2020, but that isn’t something he is focused on.
“I would have loved to have scored three or four goals in the group stage,” he confirmed.
“[At] the World Cup in 2018 we made an incredible start, but mentally I lost myself in the final part of the tournament.
“Now we have to live in the moment, know that we’re on the right track and proceed in that manner. This game isn’t just about me, the match is England against Italy.”
When pressed on the strengths of the Azzurri, England‘s captain pointed toward his closest rivals, the central defensive pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.
“They are two incredible defenders,” he continued.
“They have a lot of experience in these games throughout their careers, but I want to play against the best defenders in the world, which these two are.”