Heartbroken Harry Kane left ‘empty’ and regretting ‘missing piece of puzzle’ as he breaks silence on World Cup KO
HARRY KANE has broken his silence on England’s World Cup semi-final elimination.
The Three Lions had one foot in Sunday’s final after going 1-0 up against Argentina, but threw it away after shrinking into old defensive habits that allowed Lionel Messi to pop up with two assists and turn the tie on its head.
Harry Kane has broken his silence on England’s World Cup semi-final KOCredit: Getty
Kane moaned England were still missing the ‘final piece of the jigsaw’Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
But captain Kane, who has scored six goals in the tournament so far, has now taken to social media to express his feelings on yet another summer of heartbreak for England.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “No words are big enough right now to overcome this empty feeling in the stomach.
“We were close, really close to another final but it wasn’t enough. We’ve given everything over these last seven weeks and to fall short is hard to take!
“I know the expectations are high and rightly so, we’ve been knocking on the door for eight years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw!”
With Kane at the helm, England have made two World Cup semi-finals and a quarter finals, plus two European Championship finals, losing both.
But the Bayern Munich ace continued: “That’s where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better.
“I’m so proud of the boys and what we have shown throughout this tournament – some tough games and tough environments that we have overcome.
“Some memories that will stay with us players and I’m sure you fans for a long long time! Going for glory doesn’t always mean you will get it.
“You have to fight for it, get knocked down, pick yourself up and go again and that’s what we will do, there’s no other way but to keep believing and keeping pushing.”
Kane concluded: “Thank you to every single fan that travelled and showed their support in the stadiums.
“Thank you to every fan back home for believing in us.
“Thank you to the boys and staff for everything you have given.
“As always, win or lose, we learn and go again!”
The FA are set to launch a full review into the summer’s performance, including an assessment of manager Thomas Tuchel.
Much of the blame for the defeat has been laid at the feet of the 52-year-old after his defensive subs.
However, he defended his position by saying he attempted to close the gaps in defence by adding more bodies after realising the team on the pitch were no longer capable of keeping control.
It was reported that FA insiders were sympathetic to the German as at no point had he told his team to adopt the passive approach.
He is said to retain the full backing of FA bigwigs, with FA chief Mark Bullingham reportedly wanting to honour Tuchel’s deal which runs through to 2028.
Kane, who turns 33 at the end of this month, has cast doubts over whether he will play another World Cup as England’s frontman, but he is likely to still be their No9 when the Euros come to British soil in two years time.