Harry Kane has spoken of his pride at captaining his country but insists England boast "plenty of leaders" in their ranks as Gareth Southgate contemplates who will wear the armband on a permanent basis.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward, who does not captain his club side, became, at Hampden Park on Saturday, the fifth captain of Southgate's seven-game tenure, after Wayne Rooney, Gary Cahill, Joe Hart and Jordan Henderson, and seized his opportunity by scoring the team's 93rd-minute equaliser. That timely intervention, just moments after two free kicks by Leigh Griffiths had taken Scotland to the verge of a first win in this fixture in 18 years, maintained England's unbeaten qualifying campaign at the top of Group F.
“I have said before I would love to be England captain,” said Kane, who had previously been denied the chance to represent Southgate’s team by injury, and whose goal was his first for the national team in 13 months. “Obviously, I don’t know what the gaffer’s feeling is on it. He gave me the armband on Saturday and I went out there and gave it my best. We have got leaders in the team, and it is just that I am wearing the armband.
“I still play the same way. I still talk, I still shout in the same way. That is what is good about this team. People look at one player now to drag them through, but we have plenty of leaders in the team to try and change the game. For me it was great to get that goal and be captain, but whoever the gaffer chooses long-term, there are plenty of leaders.
‘Quite emotional’
“It was quite emotional to be given the chance. The manager told me just before training on Friday. He said he sees me as one of the leaders in the team, that was it. Nothing about it being permanent. I am sure he will make that decision when he is ready, but I was delighted to lead that team out. There were a lot of emotions, lots of proud feelings, and my family were delighted. It was something I have always dreamed about, as most kids do. So to be given that opportunity by the gaffer and how the game panned out, to manage to score in the last minute was a very proud moment.
“It was probably the most special moment, personally, of my career so far. I did not want to lose my first game as captain, that is for sure – especially against Scotland. So to score that goal . . . it has been a while since I scored a goal for England. It was a special feeling for me.”
Kane's late, late intervention was not to prove the final weekend blow landed on Gordon Strachan, even if it was the most shuddering one. "I am absolutely shattered," Strachan said. "That is probably the most emotional I have ever been after a game."
Slovakia’s Group F victory in Lithuania on Saturday evening means Scotland remain fourth in the section, four points adrift of second and three from third. World Cup qualification remains a long shot, even if the pulsating boost afforded to Scotland by Leigh Griffiths’s outstanding double against England at Hampden Park gave Strachan reason to believe.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” the manager insisted. “If I didn’t believe it I think it would rub off on the players. The players can sniff that.”
Struggles
Strachan’s own situation has, of course, been intrinsically linked to struggles which preceded the March win over Slovenia and the briefly stirring events of Saturday. It now seems certain the 60-year-old will see out the campaign, which apart from anything else will be commercially and practically useful to the Scottish FA in terms of sourcing a replacement.
“I have got a way of dealing with it,” Strachan said regarding speculation. “What makes me strong is those players and everybody I have met this week. People come up to you and say: ‘Keep it up, keep it going.’ That energises you.
“You all know that I do keep a barrier between myself and the media. It is nothing against you guys. I can get on and do my job, then it doesn’t affect me. If it affected me then it would affect the players. You have seen the performances over the last couple of years. I have got no problem with that. Funnily enough, somebody said: ‘Would you go back to full-time [club] management?’ I said: ‘Yeah, with that group I would.’
“I actually get excited when it’s time to get together with them. I just love working with them. We have faults, we all know there are faults – but that’s not their fault, that’s the Scottish game.”
That chasm between Scottish players and their English counterparts is not lost on any sane observer, albeit Strachan has regularly been guilty of underplaying what talent is actually at his disposal. Teams with less to pull upon have fared better than the Scots under Strachan’s guidance.
Reluctance
A case in point relates to Griffiths, whom Strachan showed a real reluctance to play until recently. Scotland would now be helped in part by England maintaining their imperious qualifying form against other teams in the group.
“I hope so,” Strachan said. “That’s 35 games unbeaten [in tournament qualifiers] and it’s the closest they’ve been to losing that record.
“We had a moment in the day that a lot of us in football won’t forget. We will remember the noise after the second goal forever. It could have been the best ever. If you can leave memorable moments then you have given something to the game.”
Griffiths was so close to becoming a national hero. His international manager drew comparisons to David Beckham and his memorable free-kick goal for England against Greece in 2001. “Some people can do it after 20 minutes when they’re fresh,” Strachan said. “For Leigh to dig out these two late on was incredible. I actually thought the second one would go in as well, I really did.”
– Guardian Service
