Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Kane: We’ve got leaders in team
ENGLAND captain Harry Kane was proud of the way England dug deep to avoid a chastening defeat t o Scotland.
The 114th meeting of international f ootball’s oldest rivals initially looked to be going the visitors’ way after substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hushed the Hampden roar.
But an unremarkable World Cup qualifier ended extraordinarily as Leigh Griffiths l evelled with a wonderful l ate free-kick, before repeating the trick to put Gordon Strachan’s side on the brink of a famous victory.
Yet England rallied rather than wilted i n stoppage time as Kane, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time, met a superb Raheem Sterling cross with an even better finish to snatch a 2-2 draw.
“It was fantastic,” Kane said of the t e a m ’s c h a r a c t e r, w h i c h w a s praised by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
“I think going 2-1 down in the manner that we did, a lot of heads could have dropped or people could have been sulking or so forth.
“But everyone stood up to it. They dug deep and found a goal out of nothing, really, so that’s what it’s about.
“It is about standing up and being counted and we did that.
“Obviously I was wearing the armband but I think we’ve got a lot of leaders in the team.
“It was great f or me personally to lead the team out, a very, very proud moment and to get that goal at the end made it even more special.
“I think being part of a leader is standing up when it matters.”
K a n e ’s s t r i k e s av e d England from their first qualifying defeat since October 2009.