Chin up, Harry, there’s still the Golden Boot
ENGLAND failed to clinch World Cup bronze yesterday but at least some hope still remains for their fans – Harry Kane is on course to win the Golden Boot.
He will receive the award for being the top scorer barring a hat-trick in the FranceCroatia final today from Antoine Griezmann or Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchmen will aim to stop the England striker but both are on three goals against Kane’s six.
Gareth Southgate’s squad will fly home today as heroes south of the Border, despite losing 2-0 to Belgium in the third place play-off. Reflecting on the campaign, Southgate said: ‘We’ve inspired and united people in our country and that’s something that will live with me for ever.’
The team will touch down at Birmingham but England fans have been asked not to turn out to welcome them. The Football Association said: ‘There will be no opportunity for a public reception either at the airport or elsewhere.’ But some frustrated fans accused officials of being ‘killjoys’. Chris McGrath said: ‘It’s very sad in today’s climate this has been taken away.’ Meanwhile the relative success of the young players has spread from the pitch to advertising agencies. Dan French, a sports marketing expert and cofounder of Clifford French, said: ‘Their youth is a big draw for brands in the sport and entertainment space.’
A source close to defender Harry Maguire said there had been ‘a number of approaches’, but that the player’s mum had ruled out cashing in on her son’s ‘Slab Head’ nickname coined by fellow England star Jamie Vardy.
‘His mum wasn’t best pleased with Jamie Vardy for letting that out of the bag, they won’t be going down that road,’ he said.
Yesterday England conceded an early goal and created a number of chances before Eden Hazard scored a second.
Southgate admitted: ‘Belgium are a better side than us… It was a game too far.’