Former England international Paul Parker believes captain Harry Kane’s form may no longer merit a Three Lions starting berth and says the Tottenham striker should have been substituted during Tuesday’s 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Hungary.
England were comfortably beaten in the Nations League clash at Molineux – their biggest home loss since a 5-1 defeat to Scotland in March 1928.
Kane has not scored from open play in his last six international appearances, having last done so in a 10-0 demolition of minnows San Marino in November, in which he scored four goals in total.
Parker represented England 19 times during his career, including six World Cup outings, and thinks Kane’s recent performances do not warrant a place in the side.
He told the PA news agency: “Where was he? He was back on the halfway line trying to be a number 10. England needed a centre-forward and he was not even in the game.
“Take Harry Kane off the pitch, he was not even trying. He didn’t even get past a sprint.
“Just because you are the captain it doesn’t mean you can’t be taken off. His season doesn’t suggest that he should be starting to be perfectly honest.
“Harry Kane gets recognition and he’s had a poor season. A player scoring from a penalty spot doesn’t mean you are in form.
“His club form has not been good, his national team form has not been good. You don’t even know he’s out there, to be honest.
“The problem is we haven’t got any other options.”
After the game, chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” were aimed towards England boss Gareth Southgate, with the team yet to score from open play during their four Nations League matches or register a win.
With the World Cup less than six months away, England only have their remaining two Nations League games left to play before they start their Qatar campaign against Iran on November 21.
Parker pulled no punches when it came to addressing the players’ attitude in a Three Lions shirt and thinks the Premier League takes precedent over England duty for some.
“When it comes to playing for their country, England are one of the worst,” he said.
“It’s because we live in this world where we have the so-called best league in the world. We are putting that before playing for our country.
“Other countries don’t, they can’t get in there to represent their countries quick enough and we have players that are looking for ways to get out of it.”
Parker is a long-time supporter of Prostate Cancer UK and clocked up 145 miles on his bike last weekend, cycling from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Lee Valley VeloPark to Amsterdam and raising more than £320,000.
It was the second time Parker has completed a bike ride for the charity. Soon after his first ride, Parker discovered that his own father had been diagnosed with the most common cancer among men.
“It took up until the point of my dad getting it (prostate cancer) for me to go and have a test,” explained Parker.
“Now I’m at the forefront of a survey of black people getting tested and hopefully it will encourage other black people to get tested.
“I’ve got two boys, I’m thinking of them. I’ll let them know what I’m doing and what my intentions are and the rest is up to them whether they want to get tested.”
:: More than 11,500 men die from prostate cancer each year, with over 30 men estimated to die this Father’s Day alone. But prostate cancer can often be cured if it’s caught early enough.
In the build-up to Father’s Day, Prostate Cancer UK’s #OdetoDads campaign celebrates all the little things the British public love about dads, to remind us what we miss when they are not here. Watch the full advert at https://prostatecanceruk.org/get-involved/donate/dm/summer-appeal-2022
