Dietmar Hamann on Harry Kane: German expert harshly criticizes the striker

Despite England captain Harry Kane scoring two goals against Croatia at the start of the World Cup, renowned expert Dietmar Hamann expressed doubt about his ability to play a decisive role in high-stakes matches. The former Germany national team and Liverpool midfielder emphasizes that Kane still needs to prove himself against elite opponents. This was reported by Goal.com news reports.

Following a 4-2 victory in the group stage of the World Cup taking place in North America, Hamann undervalued the 32-year-old striker's capabilities in an interview with RTE Sport. In his view, Harry Kane is accustomed to scoring against weaker teams in group games, but his ability to lead the team in the decisive moments of the playoffs remains questionable.

“He scores many goals in the group stages — against Tunisia, Panama, or Colombia. But he is the team captain and must score in the playoffs. I want to see what he is capable of against giants like France or Brazil. So far, I am not convinced he is at that level,” Hamann noted, according to Goal.com.

Speed and tactical limitations

Hamann addressed not only the statistics but also the striker's tactical aspects. According to him, the England national team under Thomas Tuchel may face problems in counter-attacking games during the playoffs due to Kane's lack of speed.

“His finishing may be the best in the world, but in modern football, especially in the late stages of a tournament, speed is crucial. Kane lacks this quality. Any center-forward scores in a Bayern squad because they win anyway. I would have preferred other strikers over Kane in this tournament,” says the former German footballer.

Nevertheless, Harry Kane demonstrated his skill in the match against Croatia. After successfully converting a penalty, he later scored a precise header, contributing significantly to his team's victory. With these goals, he has increased his World Cup goal tally to 10, breaking the record of the legendary Gary Lineker.

Currently, Kane is alongside Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. Only Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick against Algeria, is ahead of them. English fans hope that Kane's results will change the opinions of critics like Hamann.