Ian Wright shocked by Harry Kane as England star’s comments backfire in Greece win

Tony MoganPublished Nov 14, 2024, 9:57pm|Updated Nov 14, 2024, 9:58pm

Arsenal fable Ian Wright has defended the 9 England stars who came successful for stinging disapproval from skipper Harry Kane for withdrawing from the Three Lions squad.

Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden all withdrew from the squad for Nations League games against Greece and Republic of Ireland with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite joining them aboriginal successful the week.

It prompted frustrated comments from Kane connected Wednesday with the Bayern Munich prima suggesting immoderate of his teammates were choosing their clubs implicit the country.

That spate of withdrawals had small interaction connected England’s show with Lee Carsley’s broadside cruising to a 3-0 triumph successful Athens connected Thursday night. Ollie Watkins settled immoderate nerves with the opener aft 7 minutes with Jude Bellingham’s changeable forcing an ain extremity from Odysseas Vlachodimos. Curtis Jones wrapped up the triumph connected his England debut with a cute backheeled decorativeness precocious on.

Ahead of kick-off, Wright leapt to the defence of those who dropped retired – including Arsenal stars Saka and Rice who were carrying injuries heading into the planetary break.

‘What I would accidental successful respect to the players that person pulled out, you would similar to person seen them there,’ Wright said.

‘But we are talking astir a play of clip wherever the players person seen that the FA person chosen not to person the manager for this game.

‘What benignant of connection are you sending to the players? I’m not going to blasted the players oregon question integrity of the players successful respect of them joining up, but if they person got the knocks and they consciousness similar they’re going to beryllium retired this one, past the accidental should beryllium for those coming in.

‘The large contented is the scheduling, that’s what it comes down to. The managers are talking astir it, the players are talking astir it, radical are getting injured and they are glossing implicit that.’

Kane’s comments came with England awaiting the accomplishment of caller manager Thomas Tuchel who volition not instrumentality the reins until January with Carsley remaining successful complaint arsenic interim brag this month.

Wright was shocked by Kane’s comments, pointing to the FA’s ain determination connected Tuchel’s accomplishment successful defending those who stayed astatine home.

‘I was precise amazed if I americium wholly honorable arsenic you are talking astir idiosyncratic who has been successful the trenches with those guys,’ Wright said.

‘Every azygous England call-up is important, each azygous 1 is an accidental and it conscionable felt similar we are talking astir the skipper of a clump of players who has said that Gareth [Southgate] has brought them unneurotic and everything is truthful beardown – to spell from each that unity successful the squad to past a fewer withdrawals and past you’re proceeding the deficiency of commitment.

‘Again, I person to spell backmost to the FA. The FA person chosen not to person their [new] manager here.

‘They’ve benignant of acceptable a precedent for it, but for Harry to accidental that astir the players he’s been successful the trenches with, 2 finals, semi-finals of the World Cup. Knowing the calibre of the players, to past accidental helium is disappointed to spot them not coming, particularly with the fixtures and however the crippled is going crazy, it was a spot of a daze to me.’

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