Following Gareth Southgate’s resignation, prominent journalist Richard Martin wrote an article suggesting that the 31-year-old Harry Kane should also depart alongside Southgate. At this age, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney similarly became surplus to requirements for the England national team.
Richard Martin believes that when a new head coach takes over England, players in their thirties should step aside voluntarily. When Steve McClaren took charge, he excluded Beckham from the England squad, and after the 2006 World Cup, Beckham relinquished his captaincy of the national team.
Upon Southgate’s appointment, he did not include the then 31-year-old Rooney in England’s match against Slovenia, which was Southgate’s first game in charge. Whoever succeeds Southgate should have a long conversation with the England captain and respectfully inform Kane that it is time for him to leave the national team.
Kane received treatment from his personal doctor for his back injury, yet his performance was consistently subpar. In the final, he had only one touch inside the box, similar to the previous final. Furthermore, Kane was frequently substituted early in matches during the tournament, but after his departure, England’s attack became more fluid rather than consistently ineffective.
Of course, dropping Kane necessitates finding a replacement. However, apart from Ivan Toney, no one can adequately fill the role of a central striker, nor does anyone match Kane’s goal-scoring efficiency. Nevertheless, Richard Martin argues that the England team is not short of talented attacking players, and teams like Germany, Spain, and Argentina, lacking traditional target men, exhibit more flexible attacking play.
