How England's defeat to Greece highlighted Harry Kane's importance?

Kane missed the game against Greece due to injury.

The frighteningly offensive England lineup that interim manager Lee Carsley picked to play Greece in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League on Thursday night (10 October) had a transitional aspect about it, marking the first England game without Harry Kane. Regretfully, things couldn’t have gone much worse.

Even if the interim coach made mistakes on the night, Carsley’s shocking 2-1 home loss to a nation that has been in the international wilderness for a while served as a wake-up call. A sobering reminder of what life would be like without England’s record goal scorer.

The fact that a disorganized team lacked a focal point in a 4-2-2-2 system with two false nines made it obvious that they were ill-prepared to play without their injured leader. His absence serves as a poignant and timely reminder of his significance to his nation. England shouldn’t dismiss him too quickly.

England fans should cherish their star more

Above all, Thursday night served as a timely reminder of how fortunate England have been. Harry Edward Kane earned his senior international debut against Lithuania in March 2015, scoring 79 seconds after coming off the bench.

It seems like England supporters will never really understand what Kane, a playmaker and prodigious striker, had until it’s gone. That day may not be too far off given that the striker turned 31 in the summer.

Never write Kane off

Let’s not get caught up in ourselves, though. Kane is here to remain for the time being. England will be preparing for Kane to be their No. 9 at the next major event, the 2026 World Cup in the USA, in 18 months, barring an extraordinary rise by one of those in the wings.

After coming painfully close to winning at three different major events in 2018, 2021, and Berlin in the summer, the Bayern Munich striker will be determined to go all the way to finally put a stop to his national team’s embarrassment.

How Important Harry Kane is for the national team?

Lee Carlsey’s experimenting with no striker against Greece back-fired quickly. It indicated how important Kane is for the national team. He is the player who does a big job in leading the Three Lions attacking line.

Kane’s ability to link up play, and being present in the box at the right time to finish off chances make him one of the best strikers for his national team. This is what England missed against Greece.

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