England boss Gareth South Gate says no need to put arms Harry Kane After the World Cup heartache.
The England captain missed a late penalty in their quarter-final defeat. France In Qatar and later he said it would haunt him forever.
However, he hasn’t let it affect his local form, having scored nine goals in 17 games for the Spurs since his restart, which has seen him become the club’s all-time record goalscorer.
He will also break his country’s record the next time he finds the net, which could be in next week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
Southgate says he didn’t see it necessary to “interfere” with Kane while he was in club business, but he did see a player as hungry to score as ever.
“I don’t really think it’s a big hurdle,” he said. “I had a nice chat with him while we were away. I sent him a message before returning to his club, and then I took a step back to see how he was doing.
“And I didn’t really feel the need to pick up the phone. He has[improved]performances for the Spurs.
“Sometimes you can keep yourself busy and pat on the back by getting in touch with a player, but I can’t take any credit for what he’s done.
“What I have observed is that he is still an overconfident player ready to perform and hungry to score. He’s obviously gone through a personal milestone with the Spurs and he has one to nail with us at some point.
“So, I actually spoke to him earlier this week, but I was able to take a step back and let him continue. Sometimes there is no need to intervene.”
Kane’s inevitable redemption will see an unlikely front trio have to overcome their frustrations with an England jersey. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford returns from dark moments.
Both players had unforgettable World Cups as Saka led Arsenal’s fight for the Premier League title and Rashford led Manchester United to the Carabao Cup and the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
Saka is particularly loved in the UK camp, and Southgate describes him as “an amazing person”.
He said: “When you ask this question, people will probably find themselves doing what I just did, so you start smiling.
“Because that’s what it brings to you. You feel a warmth. You feel like a great person who came into the team at a time when they weren’t playing very well at Arsenal and was great.
“And now they’re pushing for the championship here – and he’s perfect again.
“And she survived the obvious setback she had with us. She has the warmth of fans who can see what she’s about, who can see the true nature of her personality.
“He’s a top player. He’s more and more a goal threat, he creates opportunities, he’s totally reliable off the ball.
“He’s a decent team player. I can’t talk enough about him.
About Rashford, Southgate added: “This season has been phenomenal. You can see the happiness, it’s obvious to anyone watching.
“His finish… now you see him moving towards chance and you expect him to score. For a time, this was not the case.
“You can see the confidence. He takes advantage of the club environment.
“He is in the flow that every player and athlete wants to be in. You can’t stay in it forever, and once you get out you have to try to come back to it.
“But he’s definitely in the moment, and he must have been very confident.”