“England Comes Before Club” – Three Lions Skipper Harry Kane Disappointed With Mass Nation League Withdrawals

“England Comes Before Club” – Three Lions Skipper Harry Kane Disappointed With Mass Nation League Withdrawals - originally posted on Sportslens.com

England captain Harry Kane has expressed disappointment after as many as nine senior-team players withdrew from the UEFA Nations League squad. The Bayern Munich center-forward reminded his compatriots that country takes precedence over club business, saying that representing the Three Lions is the greatest honor for an Englishman.

Lee Carsley Will Be Without Many Key Players for UEFA Nations League Clash

Interim England manager Lee Carsley will oversee his final pair of UEFA Nations League matches over the next four days before Thomas Tuchel takes the reins. The Three Lions will face Greece on Thursday (November 14) before locking horns with Ireland in Carsley’s final game in charge on November 17.

The manager would have loved to have a full-strength squad for his final hurrah, but, unfortunately, many of his star players have pulled out. Arsenal stars Aaron Ramsdale, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Manchester City pair Jack Grealish and Phil Foden have all withdrawn from the squad. On Wednesday (November 13), Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite became the 10th player to drop out of Carsley’s squad.

Harry Kane Disappointed With England Withdrawals

With an automatic Nations League promotion dangling in front of them, England will face Greece in Athens. Captain Kane is frustrated that many of his compatriots chose not to help their country secure the promotion.

When asked to name one thing Gareth Southgate instilled that senior players must not lose, Kane replied (via Sky Sports):

“[Gareth] Southgate brought the joy to play for England back. Every camp people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and that’s the most important thing.

“I think England comes before anything. England comes before club, it is the most important thing as a professional footballer. Gareth was hot on that and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that started to drift from certain players.”

Commenting on this week’s withdrawals, Kane added:

“It’s a shame this week, obviously. It’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit.

“I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. England comes before anything and any club situation.”

Kane has been an exceptional role model for England, rarely missing a game and always giving his all. So far, he has played 100 games for England, scoring a record 68 goals.

From Sportslens.com - NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB News, Rumors & Betting Picks