England captain Harry Kane has dismissed claims of the national team being 'over-reliant' on his goalscoring prowess, following their goalless draw against Ghana in the World Cup. The stalemate in their second Group L fixture means England's progression to the knockout stages will now depend on their final group game.
Despite missing a significant opportunity to secure a late 1-0 victory against Ghana, Kane, who has netted two of England's four goals in the tournament, stated, "I don’t think so. After a 0-0 draw it’s easy to maybe say that straight after the game. But there are going to be games like that in the tournament where it’s going to be fine margins." He added that he would "back myself to score more often than not" from similar positions.
The Bayern Munich forward acknowledged the expectations placed upon a number nine in a prominent team but insisted, "I don’t think there is an over-reliance." His comments come after a period where, in his absence during March matches against Uruguay and Japan, England managed only one goal across 180 minutes. Currently, Kane's 81 international goals surpass the combined tally of the rest of Thomas Tuchel's squad.
The draw against Ghana, who had beaten Panama 1-0 in their opening match, prevented England from securing an early qualification for the knockout rounds. Group L will now be decided on the final matchday, with England set to face Panama. They remain in a strong position to advance, either as group leaders, runners-up, or as one of the best third-placed teams.
In a separate revelation, Kane also mentioned meeting former NFL quarterback Tom Brady at England's base camp in Kansas City. "I just caught up for a coffee, we were talking about life," Kane explained, adding that Brady, a "big football fan," was opening a card store in the area and was keen to discuss the team and Bayern Munich.