The transfer talk hasn’t affected me... I’m still fully focused on winning the Euros

KANE VOW: I CAN TURN IT AROUND AGAINST CZECHS

WHEN Harry Kane announced before the Euros that he wants to leave Tottenham, the fear was that the England captain was setting himself up for a fall.

Just two games into the tournament and the knives are out for the striker who came home from the World Cup three years ago with the Golden Boot and a reputation as one of football’s most lethal goalscorers. Kane must now confront the reality of failing to get even a single shot on target against Croatia and Scotland.

Being substituted against the Auld Enemy at Wembley on Friday might even have left some players embarrassed – but it is clear that the 27-year-old has the thickest of skins.

Kane knows he hasn’t performed like a player valued at £150million by his club. But tournament football is about where you finish rather than how you start.

“All my focus is on how I can help this team, and how we can be successful in this tournament,” said the man who has scored 34 goals for his country.

“Obviously, I understand from a media point of view that there is going to be speculation – but I am fully focused on the job we have here.

“Many times I’ve gone two games without scoring. In tournament football it just gets highlighted a lot more.

“But I’m not someone who gets too high or too low. I know the chances will come with the players we have in the team.

“And when they do, I will be more than capable of putting them away. I believe in myself – I always believe in myself.

“You get ricochets coming your way, get deflected goals and stuff like that.

“I know, being an experienced footballer, that things can change very quickly.

“Score a couple of goals against the Czech Republic, and everyone is talking about the

Golden Boot, how we have one of the best strikers and are going to go far in the tournament.”

Kane rubbished suggestions his sluggish performances are down to injury and fitness worries after another gruelling Premier League campaign.

But did admit that he had felt the pace at the last World Cup as the tournament progressed.

He said: “In Russia there were times, towards the quarter-final and semi-final, when I wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be.

“In the end we didn’t quite get to where we wanted to go, maybe partly for that reason.

“It’s about managing the squad. In my case, it’s been a tough couple of games and it’s about making sure I’m right for the rest of them.

“I don’t have any issues. I didn’t feel physically that I wasn’t up to it. But it’s been a strange build-up to a tournament, in terms of not having as much time to work on things as we normally do.”

England need to beat the Czech Republic to top group D and remain at Wembley in the last 16. Kane said: “We’ve got a chance to win on Tuesday, which puts us top of the group, and that opens up the knockout stages.

“That’s when things get a bit more ruthless – and it’s a chance to really go on the big stage and show what we’ve got.

“We’d love nothing more than to win this tournament and be celebrating with the fans outside Wembley.

“But we also know it’s a long road to get there.”