Kane surprised by coverage of squad withdrawal criticism and calls for Premier League winter break

Harry Kane has admitted he was surprised by the amount of media coverage surrounding his comments about the withdrawal of several team mates from the England squad.

In an interview with ITV that was aired on the eve of England’s must-win clash with Greece on Thursday, Kane expressed his unhappiness after nine players withdrew from the squad.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Aaron Ramsdale and Jarrad Branthwaite all pulled out of interim boss Lee Carsley’s squad just days before the Three Lions’ game in Athens, which they won 3-0.

Ollie’s Athens opener 🫶

Shot on Google Pixel. pic.twitter.com/bmrrVc2rY0

— England (@England) November 15, 2024

And the England captain appeared far from impressed, insisting that playing for your country should always come before club commitments.

When asked on Saturday whether playing for England might matter less to some of the players than it does to him, Kane said: “I don’t think I said that. I think I gave my opinion on the matter. I probably didn’t expect it [the interview] to get as much coverage as it did.

“But it was my opinion. The November camp has always been a difficult camp, even when you look at other years there have been players who have pulled out.

“It was just my opinion that England is important. These are the camps where you build that culture and togetherness that lead you into a world cup.

“I think all the players try and give their best whenever they come with England. Whoever is in the squad is the most important thing.

“It was just a reminder that playing for England is really, really special. For me, it’s one of the greatest things I do as a professional footballer and I always try and do it whenever I’m available.”

Locked in 🔐 pic.twitter.com/YSc5KKpJgy

— England (@England) November 16, 2024

After being left out of the eleven who started the clash with Greece, Carsley confirmed Kane would feature on Sunday against the Republic of Ireland – Carsley’s final game in charge – although it was not clear whether Kane would start the match.

The England captain also called on the Premier League to re-instate a winter break and said a wider conversation needs to be had about the increasingly-busy football calendar.

There will be no mid-season break for players in the English top flight this season, despite a two-week winter break having previously been included.

Meanwhile Kane, now into his second season at Bayern Munich, will benefit from the Bundesliga’s winter break next month, with the league to pause action between December 23 and January 10.

“It would be great for them [Premier League players] to have the winter break,” said Kane.

“We had for two years in the Premier League and I think it went down really well with the players. It’s a shame they’ve taken that back again.”

What a shift from all the boys! Massive win to have the group in our hands. Congrats Lewis, Morgan and Curtis on your debuts 🙌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/YVkJcSSGga

— Harry Kane (@HKane) November 14, 2024

Speaking about whether the winter break in Germany last season benefitted him, the striker added: “It was my first experience of a longer winter break last season and I felt it really helped me. That’s probably a wider conversation about schedule and how that can be helped.

Kane said something needs to change regarding the football calendar and urged football’s governing body to heed players’ concerns.

“There are conversations that need to be had behind the scenes.

“Whether it’s going to change any time soon, I’m not sure.

“It’s hard to say from my point of view but I think there’s definitely a sense that something needs to change to benefit the players more. But it’s not always an easy situation.”