Gary Lineker has responded to Harry Kane hitting back at his critical analysis of England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark.
In the wake of England’s draw last Thursday, which kept them top of their group at Euro 2024, Lineker labelled the performance “s***” while speaking on his podcast.
He also said that that Kane “needs to do a lot better” and it prompted the England captain to respond during a press conference on Sunday.
Kane wants outspoken ex-England players to remember what it is like to wear the shirt and how tough tournaments were for them before criticising Gareth Southgate’s side.
Speaking in response to Kane on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Lineker said: “I get it and it puts Harry on the spot, but I thought he actually answered fine, with one or two bits in there, but it’s not easy when you are thrown that kind of thing.
“Could you imagine if we went on and said: ‘Well, actually, I thought they played really well.’ We would be lying for a start, because they didn’t play well and Harry knows they didn’t play well.
“I understand where he says: ‘They have a responsibility being ex-England players, they should know, they know what it is like, it’s not like they have won anything’ - or words to that effect.
“Fine and he is absolutely right, but I will say one thing, the last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. We want the England team to perform well on the pitch.
“The best punditry of all is when England play well, and we are excited and we are enthusiastic about them, we are saying this performance was great, that performance was great. “We don’t want to be critical, but we have to be sometimes.”
Former England striker Alan Shearer, who was on the podcast with Lineker last week, has also addressed the situation and insisted that he stands by their analysis.
“We have both been there as England captains, when you have sat in front of the media when England have not played well at all or you as an individual have not played well,” he said.
“I would have answered the question in exactly the same way as England captain as Harry did yesterday.
“He just said they are entitled their opinion, I understand they also have a job to do - and we do. We have to tell it.
“I’ve no problem with what he said and I wouldn’t take anything back that we said. England were really poor.”
