Harry Kane breaks silence over missed penalty that saw England crash out of World Cup after losing to France
HARRY KANE has taken responsibility for England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.
The Three Lions captain drew his team level from the penalty spot but fluffed the chance of a repeat in the 84th minute.
Kane blazed his penalty over the crossbar and France booked their place in the semi-finals against Morocco with a 2-1 win.
The Tottenham striker has taken responsibility for the World Cup exit and admitted the result “will hurt for a while”.
He said: “It is a really tough night to take.
“I am gutted, the team are gutted. We had full belief that we could achieve something special at this World Cup but it came down to small details.
“I thought on the night we had the better chances and better spells in the game.
“It comes down to execution. As captain, I take it on the chin and responsibility missing the penalty.
“It is hard to take for sure but I can be proud of the group, proud of each other for what we’ve done.
“This will hurt for a while but we will dust ourselves down to get ready in the future.”
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Kane says he’s prepared to step up again in the future and put his miss “purely down to execution”.
He continued: “I am someone who if I prepare, I prepare for whether I get one or two penalties.
“I can’t fault my preparation or detail in the lead-up. I felt as confident on the first as I did the second.
“It comes purely down to execution so I will take it on the chin and of course it hurts now, and it will hurt for a long time, but that’s part of being captain and a leader in the team.
“You have to take responsibility and I will take that for today.”
‘That’s his decision’
Manager Gareth Southgate’s future as England boss is up in the air despite having a contract until after Euro 2024.
Kane has given the 52-year-old his backing to stay on but says the decision solely lies with Southgate.
He said: “I think it has been a really positive tournament.
“Of course, it has ended now in the quarter-final and it felt like we could have done more.
“If you look at the performances and the way the team has been, it has been exciting to watch. I think we have a really bright future.
“We love having Gareth as a manager. We want him to stay for sure but that’s his decision. I am sure he will go away and think about that.
“We’ve got a great team, great young players, players coming into their prime and we’ve got a Euros not too far away. As much as this hurts, we have to move on and look forward to that.
“He hasn’t spoken about it; I haven’t spoken to him about it. Like I said, now we are hurting and rightly so.
“He will go away and think about that. That’s his decision. He will talk to his family and friends and make that decision. From the players’ point of view, we are really happy with the manager.”