'Kane has to wake up!' - Tottenham striker can win Euro 2020 for England but hasn't arrived yet, says Eriksson

BetOdds Harry Kane England Tottenham Hotspur Germany European Championship England v Germany

The former Three Lions boss thinks the man captaining Gareth Southgate's squad is capable of leading them to the trophy

Harry Kane can win Euro 2020 for England but has to "wake up" first, according to Sven Goran-Eriksson, who cannot understand why the Tottenham striker has had such a subdued start to the tournament.

Kane is still looking for his first goal of the European Championship, having drawn blanks in all three of his country's group-stage fixtures, including their 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic last time out.

Despite his struggles, Gareth Southgate will likely stick with the 27-year-old in a huge last-16 clash against Germany at Wembley on Tuesday, and Eriksson is hopeful he can finally spark into life and set the Three Lions on their way to glory.

The former England manager told Ladbrokes: “Harry Kane has to wake up and arrive at the European Championships now.

"Everyone knows what he can do, but for some reason, he hasn’t been successful so far in this tournament. I think it will come; he can win the Euros for England."

Eriksson also expressed his belief that Raheem Sterling should retain his place in Southgate's line-up, before talking up Jack Grealish as a potentially match-winning option for the current Three Lions boss.

“Southgate has so many attacking options, but for me Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling must play from the start," added the Swede.

"Then the most important thing is executing the right system, and picking the players accordingly. Do you play two up front or two wingers? Do you go with two or three at the back?

“I don’t know if he’s going to start the game, but Jack Grealish is the game-changer. He’s fantastic. But there are so many other options. It’s good to have these options, but at the same time, you need balance – especially for the game against Germany.”

Kane made his international debut back in 2015, and has since established himself as a talismanic figure in the England squad while also taking up captaincy responsibilities.

The Spurs forward has 59 caps and 34 goals to his name, including six at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he earned the Golden Boot after helping the Three Lions reach the semi-finals.

Should England dispatch their arch-rivals Germany, they will be rewarded with a favourable last-eight tie against Eriksson's native Sweden or Ukraine.

A semi-final showdown with either the Czech Republic or Denmark could await thereafter, with the showpiece event then set to take place at Wembley on Sunday, July 11.

2021-06-28 18:00:03

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