Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have defended their criticism of Harry Kane and England’s performance in their 1-1 draw with Denmark.
Kane said the ex-England captains and now pundtry duo should “remember what it’s like to wear the shirt” and pointed out their failures to lift a trophy with the Three Lions during their playing days.
Both were particarly critical of the current skipper’s performance on the BBC’s coverage, with Lineker later using an expletive to describe it on his podcast ‘The Rest is Football’.
Reacting to Kane’s words, the 63-year-old said: “We’ve been critical of England’s performances, as has pretty much every journalist, but you know how it happens.
“We’ve talked about this a few times before, about journalists not being brave enough to ask their own questions.
“I guarantee whoever that was was probably critical themselves. They do it a) to stir the pot and b) because they’re too scared to ask a question from their own selves.
“It puts Harry on the spot. I thought he answered it fine.
“There was one bit there where he says that we have responsibilities as ex-England players, that we should know better and that we never won anything or words to that effect.
“Fine, he’s absolutely right. But I will say one thing. The last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. We want the England team to perform well on the pitch. The best punditry of all is when England play well.”
🗣️ “We don’t want to be critical, but we have to be sometimes.”@GaryLineker and @AlanShearer respond to Harry Kane’s comments about their criticism of England in the latest episode of the podcast out now 🎧 pic.twitter.com/sAhkiPYQnn
— The Rest Is Football (@RestIsFootball) June 24, 2024
‘It’s important we never get personal’
Shearer, a 63-cap former England international, echoed Lineker’s comments and insisted players should not be immune from criticism when they have underperformed.
He added: “It’s important we never get personal. That’s the most important thing.
“They were terrible and we have to say that. If England were brilliant we’d say they were brilliant, that’s the way it is.
“As a player you always get the right of reply on the pitch. I have no problem what we said, I wouldn’t take anything back we said.
“England were really poor. I think the vast majority of the country, and even the boys in the squad, will know they were awful against Denmark. There were hardly any positives.”
