Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Harry Kane is annoyed by team-mates who pull out of England squads – and says his captain would never do so.
Several of the head coach’s camps have been blighted by withdrawals, including Cole Palmer’s ‘load management’ excuse in September. The Chelsea playmaker was then left out of the squad for this week’s Nations League fixtures.
And Tuchel says Kane, who will become England’s record cap-holder with his 126th appearance against Croatia on Thursday evening, is not a fan of those who pass up the opportunity to play for their country.
‘He is always here and doesn’t like it if 50-50 decisions are taken by the players not to come to camp,’ said Tuchel.
‘We had this conversation very early when I took the job and it was one of his points, to make sure that players come and are proud to arrive because it’s the biggest honour.
‘We need to make sure that if it happens (withdrawals) we are so strong that we actually set the tone that everybody is desperate to be in camp, because everybody can lose their shirt if they miss out on a camp.
Thomas Tuchel (centre) has revealed Harry Kane’s frustrations at his team-mates pulling out the England squad
Cole Palmer (right), pictured with Kane in 2024, has been criticised by Tuchel for missing too many England opportunities
‘So it was one of the first discussions and straight away he set the standard and made it very clear where the standards are for him. He would never pull out. Never.’
Kane, meanwhile, says his desire burns brighter than ever as he targets 100 England goals and records that will stand for generations.
He insists he is far from finished and has warned team-mates Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham that his caps record could yet reach 150.
‘This is no time to rest,’ said Kane. ‘I’ve got better year on year. While I’m feeling like this, why would I put any limit on myself? I want to get 100 England goals as quickly as possible.
‘Jude and Dec, they’re on 60-odd caps already and you look at how young they are. So I’ll try and give them a good number to catch! Before we know it, it’ll be the home Euros. I might be on 140 caps by then, and then we’ll be talking about 150. My biggest fear is finishing my career and thinking I could have done a bit more. I have an ego to be the best. I just don’t do it in a show-off way.’
