Everybody knows that Harry Kane wants to start in every single game but nobody knows it more than his managers, nobody hears about it more vociferously than they do when he is stood down.
Gareth Southgate has committed the sin, in Kane’s eyes, of naming him as only a substitute in England’s three World Cup qualifying ties against the Group I minnows so far – the two against Andorra and the one with San Marino, which together ended in victories by an aggregate scoreline of 14-0.
Kane did get on in the 4-0 win over Andorra at Wembley in September, scoring one of the goals from the penalty spot, but imagine how he could have boosted his personal numbers with more time on the field? The captain has certainly imagined it.
“He’s quick to let me know he hasn’t played in those games,” Southgate said, with a smile, as he looked forward to the final qualifier – the return against San Marino on Monday night – and considered the question as to whether Kane would be let loose at the outset.
Southgate knows he must strike the right balance in terms of the experience of the line-up having lost, among others, Jordan Henderson to a minor injury and Raheem Sterling to a personal matter. The manager is expected to stick with the back-three system that he used in Friday night’s 5-0 win over Albania at Wembley with Harry Maguire, Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings in the positions.
It is only San Marino, the worst ranked team in international football who, in 31 years of playing official games, have won only once – against Liechtenstein in 2004. But England do need a draw to make completely sure of direct qualification to Qatar ahead of Poland and, as such, Southgate will not allow his focus and professionalism to waver.
“With Harry [Kane], I don’t think it would be right to treat this game any differently from any other by giving you the team,” Southgate said. “But, for sure, he is keen to play. He wants to play. We have got to make sure we get this game won and we still have to try to qualify for the World Cup.
“When we are picking a team, no matter what the opponent, we are always thinking about having the right balance, leadership … In any game, if you don’t have the right leaders on the pitch and you don’t start the game well, then it can lead to anxiety and, if you have not got enough experience around, that can lead to unnecessary difficult moments.”
Kane has his tail up after scoring a first-half hat-trick in the win over Albania. It moved him to 44 England goals from 66 caps – level on the all-time list with Jimmy Greaves – and closer to Wayne Rooney’s record of 53. The truth was that Kane had the chances to have scored six against a hapless Albania defence and, having been withdrawn on 63 minutes, he feels he has plenty in the tank for San Marino.
Southgate has previously said that 45 minutes in a match is the equivalent loading to an intense training session and so nobody should be too unhappy if he were to push Kane into some of the San Marino game – namely, the striker’s manager at Tottenham, Antonio Conte.
There stands to be an upside for Conte if Kane could return to Spurs in a positive mood; he had departed for the international break with one Premier League goal all season and plenty of questions about his form.
“We want to make sure that the team we start with tomorrow is a statement that we’re here to do business, that we’re taking this very seriously,” Southgate said, while also acknowledging the large number of England fans that were travelling and wanted to see a top-level performance.
Southgate did advance a caveat that felt pertinent to Kane, talking about the need for the regulars to support the “players who have been important squad members” when it was the turn of the latter to start. “I don’t think it ever does any of the starters any harm to recognise the incredible support they get [from the others] and repay it,” he added. Southgate’s other option up front would be Tammy Abraham.
The themes of opportunity, cohesion and commitment seemed to apply strongly to Emile Smith Rowe and Conor Gallagher – players who have been promoted from the under-21s for their first senior involvement. Smith Rowe came on as a substitute against Albania for his debut while Gallagher was rewarded for his fine start to the season at Crystal Palace with a call on Sunday morning. It was easy to wonder how Callum Hudson-Odoi was feeling, having once again turned down the chance to join up with the under-21s.
“It has become an even better opportunity for Emile and now Conor [because of the withdrawals] and they deserve it because of their club form and the way they have played for the under-21s, their professionalism for the under-21s,” Southgate said. “If they play well, there is a chance for them to stay with us.”
Above all in San Marino, there is the chance to celebrate qualification to what Coady described as the “biggest show on earth.” It feels as if it has long since been taken for granted but Coady’s words struck a chord, highlighting the basic joy of it.
“We speak about the excitement [of qualification] all the time,” Coady said. “We’ve seen images of what it’ll be like over there [in Qatar] and it’s important that we focus on how excited we have been. We’re at the end of the qualifying stage and tomorrow we can get to where we want to be. It’s a massive achievement.”