Harry Kane disappointed over English players withdrawing from Nations League fixtures

England captain Harry Kane is not happy with many players withdrawing from their Nations League clash. The Three Lions are scheduled to face Greece on Thursday (November 14) in a must-win encounter and will then lock horns against Ireland on Sunday (November 17). As many as eight players have withdrawn from the squad and the situation has expectedly frustrated Kane who believes that nation should come first. The match is set to take place at the Olympic Stadium in Athens but England will have to play out of their skins to stay alive.

A 26-member squad was initially announced and among eight players who withdrew are the likes of Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer. While speaking to ITV, Harry Kane expressed his disappointment and recalled the culture set by Gareth Southgate during his tenure.

“I think the joy of playing for England. I think he brought that back. I think every camp people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and, yeah, that's the most important thing. I think England comes before anything. England comes before the club."

“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. I think England comes before anything, any club situation,” Kane said.

England at second place in UEFA Nations League

England are clubbed in League B Group 2 in the UEFA Nations League alongside Greece, Ireland, and Finland. The Three Lions are at second place in the points table with three wins and a loss in four outings. They have nine points to show for their efforts while their immediate opponents, Greece, are on top of the table with 12 points having won all four matches. 

The group winners of Leagues B, C, and D are set to be automatically promoted, and hence, for that to happen, England have no other option but to top the group. The clash against Greece is extremely crucial for them and missing as many as eight players from their first-choice list might end up hurting them eventually.