Alan Shearer believes Harry Kane was “weighed down” by the presence of his Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris during England’s World Cup exit against France.
Kane equaled Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 England goals from the penalty spot nine minutes into the second half at Al Bayt Stadium, but he missed a second penalty 30 minutes later as France won 2-1.
Shearer believes Kane’s sight of his club teammate between the sticks influenced his ill-fated second kick, which he says will hurt the Three Lions captain “for the rest of his life.”
“Having taken one already, the difference was the difference itself. It becomes a mind game, not only with the goalkeeper but with yourself,” Shearer wrote in a column for The Athletic.
“It’s human nature. Who blinks first? To me, Harry looked weighed down for his second. Heavier, somehow.
“In that situation, you’re confronted with a new set of problems and a new set of siren voices. You think ‘s***, what do I do now?’
“Do I do the same as last time, do I stick with what I’m good at, do I change it up?
“In Harry’s case, he’s playing against his Tottenham Hotspur team-mate in Hugo Lloris and that sense of familiarity is treacherous. Yes, he’d already scored, but Lloris knows his routines, how he practises, the side he naturally favours.
“Trust me, all that plays on your mind in the sparse seconds between the whistle going and you starting your run-up.
“It will hurt Harry for the rest of his life. A day won’t go by without him thinking about it or being reminded about it.”
Having taken responsibility for England’s exit in the aftermath of their defeat, Kane pledged to learn from the experience as he took to social media on Sunday.
“Absolutely gutted. We’ve given it everything and it’s come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for,” Kane wrote on Twitter.
“There’s no hiding from it, it hurts and it’ll take some time to get over it, but that’s part of the sport.
“Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge. Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament – it means a lot.”
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham also expressed his support for Kane.
England boss Gareth Southgate also supported Kane in a statement released on Sunday.
“Like all England fans, we feel the pain of losing a quarter-final, along with the coaches, players and support team who are hurting this morning,” the statement began.
“Gareth and Steve [Holland] prepared the team exceptionally well throughout the tournament. The players were committed to winning the trophy and were led very well by Harry Kane.
“But sport can have fine margins, and on the day, against the current world champions, it was not to be.
“This is a very exciting young English squad, and despite the intense disappointment of last night, they should be incredibly proud of their performances in Qatar.”
Discussion about this post