2 months ago
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EXCLUSIVE
Troy Deeney has come out swinging in defence of Harry Kane after Dietmar Hamann questioned his impact against big teams.
Kane and the ex-Liverpool midfielder had gone back-and-forth in the media after the latter described the striker's impact in Bayern Munich's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain as 'very poor'.
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Hamann told talkSPORT Breakfast last Wednesday: "I think the jury is still out whether he's got it against the best teams - because he didn't do it for England.
"I watched him against Ireland last week and he was poor. He played a wonder ball for the penalty but honestly that's not enough for an England captain."
Kane wasn't able to offer a response in the form of a goal in his next outing as he was forced off in the first half of Bayern's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
But the 31-year-old's injury did not prevent Deeney from taking a passionate stance in his favour.
When asked what he thought about Hamann's comments on Kane, Deeney told talkSPORT.com: "Boring, boring.
"So, if they don't win and he doesn't score, he's not a big factor. But when they win and they score, it's not his fault, it's everyone's fault. How does that work?
"I don't know Didi Hamann, he was a wonderful footballer. But I think he talks s*** sometimes.
"Every time Harry scores, I don't ever hear anyone go, 'Oh, he's the sole reason they won.' It's like, 'Great team performance and Harry Kane capped it off at the end.'
"When they lose, it's, 'Oh no, Harry Kane's fault.' What do you want him to do? The kid scores goals and is an unbelievable footballer."
Deeney added: "He's still scoring and we're all trying to replace him in England. Give the kid a break. You can have your opinion on whether he's a good player or not.
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"But whenever they don't win, it's his fault. Whenever they win, it's everyone else's fault."
Kane tops the Bundesliga goalscoring charts this season with 14 from 12 league games.
He is also tied for third in the Champions League golden boot race with a tally of five, two behind leader Robert Lewandowski.
However, Kane failed to score against Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Benfica and PSG this season.
Hamann also questioned whether Kane will be the man to lead the line for England at the next World Cup in 2026, when he will be 32.
During the Three Lions' Euro 2024 campaign, Kane came under scrutiny for his performances as some questioned whether he was fully fit.
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However, Deeney can't envisage anyone but the former Tottenham superstar spearheading England's attack in 18 months' time.
"Of course he is [going to start]," Deeney said.
"This is the thing in media and football, we're always wondering what's next. Harry Kane is still scoring, still delivering.
"I like Ollie [Watkins] and the boys, I think they're nice kids. But they're not stand-outs. Even last year there was an argument, who should've started between Watkins and [Ivan] Toney. They're the arguments, not who's starting above Harry Kane."
Deeney also provided a blueprint for incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel, who officially takes charge on January 1, on how to maximise Kane's ability.
However, Tuchel may not need much advice given he brought Kane to Bayern in August 2023 and oversaw the English superstar's stunning individual 2023/24 campaign in which he smashed in 44 goals from 45 appearances for Bayern.
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"I think you need to get runners off Harry Kane," Deeney said.
"He's never been rapid anyway. But as you get older, you can't do repeated sprints, you've got younger people that need to run for him. That's the game.
"I think people get caught up in trying to slag Harry Kane off. I don't think there's any need for that."
