DONE UP LIKE
Even England’s World Cup captain is the target for Twitter trolls but Harry says he won’t buckle under the weight of expectation
GARETH SOUTHGATE does not lay down any hard and fast rules about it, but he does take a view on social media.
Why invite misery, he asked last week, as he suggested his squad might want to go easy on it.
Yet, on the day he was announced as Southgate’s captain, Harry Kane took to Twitter and invited questions that he might answer.
No prizes for guessing the tone of some of them was not overly positive, or complimentary.
Since Southgate met Kane in a plush Hertfordshire hotel in March and told him the news, the Tottenham striker has found himself in unusual territory, the butt of ridicule and criticism.
Pilloried for claiming a goal at Stoke originally credited to Christian Eriksen, and mocked for being too sensitive over an FA tweet that made fun of his subdued performance in the FA Cup semi-final.
But Kane insisted the flak would only make him stronger, saying: “I’m not sensitive at all. In fact, it drives me to do better.
“I’m a player who has had to prove people wrong my whole career – the loan spells, trying to grow up and force my way into the Spurs team, trying to reach this level.
“If that sort of pressure comes, the only way I’ll deal with it is to work even harder.”
And as he marked his first official day as England’s permanent captain by pumping iron at St George’s Park, Kane called on his team-mates to be bullish and not buckle under the weight of national expectation.
He said: “I feel like we’ve been a bit afraid to say we want to win stuff because we’re afraid of the fans’ or media’s reaction. We go into our shells. But I want us not to be afraid to say we want to win it. We have to be brave. “We discuss it as players and say we shouldn’t have any fear. We want to win it. Whether we go out at the group stage or the semi-final, it’s the same. You don’t win the World Cup. “We’ve got nothing to lose. We have to go there and be free, enjoy it.” At 24, Kane will be England’s youngest World Cup captain and also boasts a goal in each of the four matches he has already worn the armband for. But even considering that impressive statistic, Southgate (above) just might have had the odd reservation about making Kane captain, about giving him the extra responsibility on top of his scoring demands. But the England boss was swayed by the striker’s professionalism, impeccable offthe-field conduct and patriotism.
The new skipper even got up at the crack of dawn to watch the Royal Wedding on Saturday.
He explained: “I was in the Bahamas and it was on at about 6.30am. We watched it, me and my fiancee. What a special day.
“I’m very patriotic. The way the whole nation comes together at one time is amazing. Let’s hope it is the same this summer.”
Prince Harry has had his big day of 2018, Harry’s coronation as World Cup-winning captain awaits, and he added: “I’ve dreamt of lifting the trophy, and it’s a dream worth fighting for.”