by Harry Kane’s crucial penalty miss will haunt him for the rest of his life, claims ex-England star Alan Shearer, who says the striker will ‘blink and stare at the ceiling’ forever after shining on his vital kick against France
- Harry Kane missed a crucial late penalty in England’s 2-1 loss to France
- The Three Lions were knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals as a result
- Alan Shearer is certain the miss will haunt the striker for the rest of his life
Alan Shearer has insisted Harry Kane’s crucial missed penalty in the World Cup quarter-final will haunt the striker forever.
England pulled out of the World Cup quarter-finals after suffering a cruel 2-1 loss to France, missing out on a place in the semi-finals against tournament giants-slayer Morocco.
Aurélien Tchouameni scored from range in the first half before Kane equalized shortly after the break, but the striker failed to level the scoreboard shortly after Olivier Giroud’s goal in the 78th minute minute, throwing his second kick over the crossbar six. minutes from the end of regulation time.
Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty in England’s 2-1 loss to France in the quarter-finals
The Three Lions captain stood up and delivered his second kick to Hugo Lloris’ crossbar
Reflecting on Kane’s decisive failure for the tournament, Shearer admitted the penalty will haunt the striker for the rest of his life.
Writing for The Athletic, Shearer said: “Sometimes shit happens and then sleep leaves you. Harry is an exceptional centre-forward, an exceptional player, period.
“I know his position and I know his state of mind and I know he will put his head on the pillow tonight and the next and a few more and he will blink and stare at the ceiling.
Gareth Southgate and his team-mates tried to console the striker as England crumbled
Spurs goalkeeper and captain Lloris has been Kane’s Tottenham team-mate for over a decade
“He will relive his penalty over and over again. He will revisit it, he will take it back and in his head he will convince himself that this time, he is scoring. And I promise you it will stay with him forever.
The fact that Kane had already scored a penalty on the night added further pressure for the second kick, according to Shearer.
The ex-Newcastle and Blackburn star said: “Having already taken one, the difference was the difference itself.” It becomes a mind game, not only with the goalkeeper but with yourself. It’s human nature. Who blinks first? To me, Harry looked weighed down for his second. Heavier, somehow.
Alan Shearer was the go-to penalty taker for England and Newcastle during his career
“In this situation, you are faced with a new set of problems and a new set of siren voices. You think “shit, what do I do now? Do I do the same as last time, do I stick to what I do well, do I change?”
“He is playing against his Tottenham Hotspur team-mate in Hugo Lloris and that feeling of familiarity is treacherous. Yes, he had already scored, but Lloris knows his routines, how he trains, the team he naturally favors.
“Trust me, it’s all playing in your mind in the rare seconds between the whistle and the start of your swing.
‘It will hurt Harry for the rest of his life. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about it or remember it. He will always reflect on what he could or should have done.
Ex-Premier League star says Kane’s miss will haunt the striker for the rest of his life
