‘We’ve got goals from all over the park now’
HARRY KANE is pleased that the goalscoring burden is now being shared across the England team.
The Three Lions captain scored a penalty on the stroke of half-time as Gareth Southgate’s side thrashed Czech Republic 5-0 in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier on Friday night.
But it was Raheem Sterling who stole the show with a Wembley hat-trick before an own goal from Tomas Kalas wrapped up the rout for England.
From the initial 25-man squad named by Southgate, Marcus Rashford – who has since withdrawn through injury – was the second-highest scorer at senior international level.
The Manchester United man’s six goals have now been eclipsed by Sterling’s seven, with Kane well clear of his current England colleagues on 21.
But Sterling can now boast five goals from his last three international starts and, sitting just two behind Kane’s
17 Premier League strikes for the season, the Tottenham striker feels there are now goals throughout the current national side.
“I think to be a top nation or a top team you have to have four or five players scoring goals throughout the season,” he said.
“Obviously Raheem has been doing it for club and country, Jadon Sancho has been doing it for his club Borussia Dortmund and he got an assist, so it is important for whoever plays in that front three – and even the midfielders like Dele Alli and Ross Barkley who come in and make those forward runs – to chip in as well.
“Raheem is in great form for club and country, so it is great to be playing with him at the moment and we have great options.”
Although they started their Euro 2020 campaign in style, Kane is expecting a different test when England face Montenegro in Podgorica tomorrow night – and does not want talk of another
100 per cent record in qualification to start just yet.
“Hopefully,” said Kane when asked if repeating the feat of winning all their qualifiers
– as they did before a disastrous Euro 2016 – was achievable.
“I am not going to say we are, because in football anything can happen.
“Montenegro is not going to be easy, the fans out there are going to be loud and hostile and try and make it tough for us.
“We have got to be professional.”