Harry Kane’s late miss against Ghana has dominated the post-match discussion, but England legend Alan Shearer believes it should be viewed as an exception rather than a sign of concern.
Shearer defended England’s captain after the uncharacteristic miss.
“If you wanted the ball to drop to anyone in world football, then it would be Harry with that chance at the end of the game on Tuesday. Unfortunately, he proved he’s human and he missed a big opportunity. It’s not his first and won’t be his last, that’s
the life of a center-forward but 99 times out of 100 that goes in the back of the net,” Shearer told Betfair. “And you know what it does, then all of a sudden, you say we didn’t play well but we won the game that has to be a huge positive. But those are the moments in the game you have to snap up. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. It’s a very rare thing but he is human.”
It is difficult to disagree with Shearer’s assessment. Few strikers in world football have built a reputation for ruthless finishing quite like Kane. Whether for Bayern Munich or England, the veteran forward has consistently delivered in crucial moments, which is exactly why his miss came as such a surprise.
The reality is that even the greatest goalscorers fail to convert chances from time to time. Kane has scored hundreds of goals throughout his career because he never lets one missed opportunity affect his confidence. If anything, history suggests he usually responds by finding the net in his next outing.
For England, the encouraging part is that Kane continues to get himself into dangerous positions. That instinct cannot be coached, and it is often the difference between elite strikers and everyone else. As the knockout rounds approach, Gareth Southgate will still trust his captain to deliver when it matters most.
One missed chance does not erase years of excellence. If England is going to make a deep World Cup run, Kane remains the player they will look to when the decisive moment arrives.
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