Harry Kane urges players to prioritise England amid Nations League withdrawals

England National Team Captain Harry Kane has expressed dissatisfaction with recent withdrawals from the squad ahead of England’s UEFA Nations League matches.

Kane voiced frustration over the wave of player pull-outs, emphasising that the national team should take precedence over club commitments.

Speaking with ITV Sport on Wednesday, Kane insisted, “England comes before anything. England comes before the club,” underlining his belief in the unique importance of international duty.

PUNCH Online reports that eight players have withdrawn from the squad, leaving interim manager Lee Carsley with a reshuffled team for his final two matches before Thomas Tuchel takes over in January.

Notable absentees include stars like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Bukayo Saka.

The Bayern Munich striker highlighted former England manager Gareth Southgate’s stance on national duty, explaining, “England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer, and Gareth was firm on that. He wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that commitment started to drift.”

Meanwhile, Supersport and Yahoo Sports reported on Wednesday that Kane expressed concern over a potential “shift in priorities” this season.

“It’s a shame this week, obviously,” Kane reflected. “I think it’s a tough period of the season, and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. England comes before anything, any club situation.”

The replacements list has been fluid, with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite initially joining the squad before also withdrawing. Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah is set to fill in, having already trained with the squad over the past two days.

To secure promotion to League A, England likely needs to defeat both Greece in Athens on Thursday and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Sunday, marking a pivotal period for the squad amidst Kane’s call for renewed dedication to the England cause.