Paul Scholes believes that Harry Kane showed signs of slowing down for England during the latest international break.
Interim England manager Lee Carsley chose not to start Kane in the Three Lions' crucial Nations League game away in Greece last Thursday, instead opting for Ollie Watkins to lead the line. The starting XI vindicated that decision, winning 3-0, with Kane coming off the bench for the last quarter of the game.
The 31-year-old then started against Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Sunday, scoring a penalty to take his international goals tally to 69. That's on top of the 17 goals he has managed in 16 games for Bayern Munich this season, while he's also managed nine assists in that time, too.
Paul Scholes unconvinced with Harry Kane
For former England and Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, though, Kane's performances didn't live up to what they once were.
“It felt like the end of Harry Kane [during the international break] – the beginning of the end. He looked out of place in the team," Scholes said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet .
Scholes did acknowledge the quality of Kane's pass for Jude Bellingham before the Real Madrid man won a penalty against Republic of Ireland, but highlighted how he looked slightly off the pace.
“When you get older you feel like everything happens a bit quicker around you and it looked a bit like that. But I don’t know how we’d replace him," Scholes added.
Those comments come after Kane received wide-spread criticism in the summer at Euro 2024. The England captain, though, felt that he was made a scapegoat for the team's underwhelming performances, suggesting that he felt good regardless of the fact he had to deal with a minor back injury.
He also backs himself to continue playing at the top level for many more years to come, pointing towards Cristiano Ronaldo - eight years his senior - as a reason why he is far from finished yet.
“At 31, I am in a good place both mentally and physically and some of the players ahead of me, like [Cristiano] Ronaldo, have helped prove to me I can be at this level for a long time," Kane said in September.
