England make clear point as Kane 'breaks usual routine' after Lineker row

Harry Kane reportedly went out of his way to defend his team-mates after Gary Lineker's infamous swipe at England's performance.

The former Tottenham man had already spoken to the press earlier in the week, and wouldn't be expected to do so again until much later in the tournament. But he was eager to set the record straight and decided to take matters into his own hands by addressing the press immediately - an exercise he wouldn't usually do.

"Everyone has got their opinion but the bottom line is we have not won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well, so they know how tough it is. It is not digging anyone out. It is just the reality that they know that it is tough to play in these major tournaments and tough to play for England.

Players and coaches are said to have frequently held discussions about the reaction to their performances and it's understood Southgate is willing to make changes to his team. That said, he's expected to make just one change to the starting XI he fielded against Slovenia ahead of England's last-16 clash with Slovakia on Sunday, with Kobbie Mainoo coming in to replace Conor Gallagher in central midfield.

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