The enduring importance of Harry Kane.

So, Harry Kane, stick or twist? Speaking to a Bayern Munich fan out here near England’s training base last night, he got very animated in voicing how highly admired Kane is in Germany. It would be “Wahnsinn” – madness – to drop Kane for the European Championship semi-final against the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday.

       My new German friend (and it’s been such a sociable tournament it’s easy to make new friends here) recalled being in the Allianz when Kane was first introduced. “Welcome to the Three Lions captain…Harry….” “KANE!!” Bayern fans all bellowed, as they always do to line-up announcements. The stadium speakers then shook to the Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane”.

       Kane has since blown through stadiums, scoring 44 goals in 45 appearances for Bayern. So any suggestion of his being replaced by Ivan Toney would bring a quizzical response out here, and for many of the England fans heading to the Westfalenstadion. They can see Kane is not at his best, that he is not in top physical condition, and that he drops too deep at times. They also know Kane still has two goals out here, seven in his last 11 games, 12 in his last 16, so he’s hardly fading away.

Supporters also appreciate that Kane can grow into tournaments, and there is an awareness that the service could be better, which it may be if Luke Shaw starts and brings balance and crosses from the left. Bukayo Saka did get a couple of promising crosses in from the right which Kane was nowhere near to. The movement undeniably needs to be sharper. But that doesn’t automatically lead to benching him.

Fans also respect that Kane, 30, has worn down opposing defences making it slightly easier for subs like Toney to exploit. From assists to no-look penalties, Toney certainly makes a huge impact when he comes on. Gareth Southgate is constantly pointing out that there are starters and finishers, echoing rugby union.

Rather than a straight Toney/Kane swap, there’s more of an argument for omitting Phil Foden and partnering Kane with Toney, leaving Jude Bellingham as the sole 10 in a 3-4-1-2 formation. It would still be a surprise if Southgate went two up top, though. And leaving the Footballer of the Year out would also be questionable.

Kane has to start. And Southgate is loyal. Could he really bench England’s captain and record goalscorer? Toney has one goal in five international appearances. Kane has 10 with his head, 46 right-footed and nine with his left: 65 in 95. He passed Rooney’s old record 12 goals ago. Kane’s improving mark may never be beaten. And he’s still got at least two years at elite level in him. Kane deserves more respect.

Kane’s a man for big occasions: he’s scored for England against Germany in Berlin and Munich, against France at Stade de France, against Italy in Naples. England need him in Dortmund.  

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Stay in your lane, know your place, don’t think outside the (penalty) box. Footballers were once almost forbidden from voicing opinions on non-footballing matters. Such a condescending stance disappeared completely in the modern era where it seems everyone has a live take on everything and a smartphone platform to express their views.

Kane is hardly the most militant of athlete-activists but he does important work on protecting London playing fields from developers, and he talks about it, raising awareness as well as funds. Raheem Sterling talks about inner-city knife crime and, putting his money where his mouth is, has just provided seven knife amnesty bins in the area of London he grew up in. Marcus Rashford’s campaign to tackle child food poverty forced a Government U-turn.

France’s captain, Kylian Mbappe, spoke out about the right-wing politician Marine Le Pen, who swiftly told CNN that the striker should show more “restraint” when discussing politics. Whether you agree with Mbappe’s sentiments or not, he has a right like everyone else to air his thoughts, providing it is done in a non-inflammatory way.

Mbappe has a back-story in the banlieues of Paris that gives him some life experience. English players tend to avoid comments on politicians but they are alive to socio-economic issues, and it is good to know they care.

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Talking of caring, Lisa Nandy MP showed she cares about football when fighting to keep Wigan Athletic alive. It wasn’t for local kudos or national show. Nandy fought hard to get the financially-stricken, badly-run club into good hands. She’s “some of the most dubious characters I've come across in my life” trying to get involved with the club in her constituency that sent “alarm bells going off everywhere” as she told Wigan Today.

All the sadly familiar issues that have blighted some other clubs were in evidence, ranging from unsustainability, the threat of unsuitable owners or those with insufficient funds, the importance of protecting clubs better, and the need for a fair redistribution of wealth in the professional game. The Premier League would be such a poorer place without the players, coaches and managers nurtured in the EFL.

       Keeping alive clubs like Wigan is vital. When Wigan were saved in 2023, Nandy released a powerful statement, saying that, “I hope our experience, and that of so many other clubs, will be a wake-up call to Government to recognise that the current system is completely unjust and unsustainable and finally implement the full recommendations in the fan-led review of football without any more delay”.

As the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Nandy can confirm her credentials as a genuine football fan concerned about unscrupulous owners by helping usher through the Football Governance Bill. European Super League plotting and the myriad problems of sustainability in the EFL highlight why most football lovers don’t believe the current authorities, the FA, or the leagues can protect clubs. It’s why they want they want the Independent Football Regulator.

Nandy has long been concerned about the charlatans and profiteers who exploit football’s lax governance. “The things that go on in football are incredible – it’s a national scandal” Nandy told the Telegraph back in 2021. Nandy now has the time and the mandate to tackle that “national scandal”.

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Talking even more of caring…Marcelo Bielsa often radiates prophet-like qualities and his latest thoughts on football’s commercialisation inevitably strike a chord. Uruguay’s manager argued that football should be entertaining, and must always be a hub for community and camaraderie, otherwise people would eventually turn against the industry’s rampant greed. Football, Bielsa said, “is a cultural expression…a way of identification” as well as a sport. Whoever becomes the independent football regulator, likely to be a KC, needs some of Bielsa’s independence of thought.