Harry Kane: England's 'great bond' stronger than club rivalry
Liverpool and Tottenham went toe-to-toe in the Champions League final but England are unaffected by club matters, according to Harry Kane.
England captain Harry Kane insists club rivalries will be set aside when Liverpool and Tottenham stars join forces for the Nations League Finals. Seven players involved in the Champions League final in Madrid are among the 23-man squad that Gareth Southgate has named to take on Netherlands on Thursday.
We meet again
Mustering motivation after the deflating 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in Madrid could be especially difficult for Kane and Spurs team-mates Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Danny Rose. There are no such concerns over the spirits of Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, although England's star striker and skipper is adamant results elsewhere have minimal influence on the national team.
"We've got such a great bond and, although we're at different clubs, when we come here everyone's fully focused on here," Kane said. "You don't have to talk to people about switching off from club football. Everyone just naturally does it and I think the fact we've played with each other in club sides and younger England sides [means] we're all good friends. Whether you're at Spurs or [Manchester] City or Liverpool, we've known each other long enough that we've become mates. When you come here, you just look forward to meeting up and being friends."
Trophy up for grabs
England's strong Tottenham contingent can earn a second shot at ending the season with silverware by overcoming a rejuvenated Netherlands in Guimarães. The winner will advance to face either Switzerland or hosts Portugal for the right to be crowned the tournament's inaugural champions and Kane is keen to seize the opportunity.
"It's a new tournament, but it's still a chance to win a trophy in an England shirt, and 1966 was a long time ago," the 25-year-old said. "We're going to try and take full advantage. We all want to win trophies and have the experience of sharing that with the group and the fans, so it's a huge incentive. The fans are going to be out in numbers and hopefully be part of history."