Wayne Bridge, who earned 36 caps for England from 2002 to 2009, expressed his preference for Southgate to have rested Kane in a less crucial match, such as the third group stage game against Slovenia. Nonetheless, Bridge still advocates for benching Kane in favor of either Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins.
Despite Kane scoring twice in five Euro 2024 matches, including the decisive extra-time goal against Slovakia in the last 16, his overall performance has been inconsistent, struggling to connect with the wingers and midfielders. England’s progress to the semi-finals has been marked by hard-fought wins rather than dominant displays, with Southgate and Kane facing significant criticism from fans and pundits.
Bridge shared with Betfred, “Dropping Harry Kane would be a bold move, but can the manager really do it? I would like to see it, just to observe the changes. I’d love for Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins to get more opportunities. It’s a tough call to drop Kane, but I wish it had been done in the final group game when the stakes weren’t as high. If asked, I’d probably say yes to dropping Kane and starting Toney, but I understand how difficult that decision would be for Gareth.”
Under Southgate’s leadership since late 2016, England have reached three semi-finals in four major tournaments, a significant improvement from the team’s two semi-final appearances in the previous 17 tournaments over 38 years.
England is now on the verge of a second consecutive Euro final but must first defeat a Dutch team known for their scoring prowess, despite their defensive vulnerabilities. Kane is expected to be fit after his extra-time substitution against Switzerland in the quarter-final was attributed to double cramp.