Unselfish Harry Kane can shift roles, it doesn’t often affect his England goals
Captain can drop deep or play as a classic No 9 and will mix it up depending on the opponent and the state of the game
Wembley Stadium, 7 July 2021, a crisis brewing. Denmark are 1-0 up against England in the Euro 2020 semi-final, Mikel Damsgaard’s free-kick catching Jordan Pickford out, and the hosts are beginning to panic.
And so Harry Kane drops deep. All tournament long, people have questioned why he drops deep. Why isn’t England’s No 9 in the box? Why is he so far from goal? Is it ego that makes him think he’s a No 10? Well, here’s the answer. Receiving the ball midway inside Denmark’s half, Kane controls with his left foot and then, with no backlift, plays a defence-splitting pass with his right. Away goes Bukayo Saka, streaking clear on the right, and when the winger’s low cross ends up being turned into his own goal by Simon Kjaer, England are back on the victory path.
