England captain Harry Kane declares himself fit to start Euro 2024 final

BERLIN – Harry Kane has vowed to be fit and ready for England’s Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), despite battling a catalog of injury concerns.

Kane was taken off in the final 10 minutes of Wednesday’s dramatic semifinal victory over the Netherlands, having battled with a sore foot ever since the first-half foul that led to England’s equalizing penalty.

His replacement, Ollie Watkins, became an instant national hero, scoring a superb winner in the final minute to clinch a 2-1 win and a spot in the final.

However, Kane is certain he will be in a position to start against Spain, and try to win what would be the first trophy, international or domestic, of his impressive career.

“I will be fine,” Kane told reporters. “I was just getting a bit sore near the end.”

[Related: Exhausted England faces a historical obstacle in Euro 2024 final against Spain]

Kane was also replaced in the quarterfinal against Switzerland, coming off during extra-time. His sub on that occasion, Ivan Toney, received rave reviews for the calm method he used to score during the penalty shootout, looking at the goalkeeper throughout the process instead of the ball.

There has also been speculation that the back injury Kane suffered towards the end of the club season with Bayern Munich has carried over and impacted his performances during the Euros.

And there lies the paradox for England. Even though Gareth Southgate’s system, and perhaps Kane’s own limited mobility, has prevented him from looking anywhere near his best, he is on the very cusp of winning the tournament’s Golden Boot award.

Both Kane and Spain’s Dani Olmo are tied on three goals each, but Olmo is currently in line to clinch the accolade because of the pair of assists he has also recorded. Four other players also have three goals but are out of contention for the award as their teams have been eliminated.

“Harry took quite a big knock when he won the penalty so we weren’t sure how long he would be able to play on for,” head coach Southgate said, explaining the Watkins sub. “(Harry) and Phil (Foden) were playing well but we were losing a little bit of energy on the pressure.

“We have got good players on the bench, that freshness we felt could help us. We wanted to make that gamble in normal time rather than waiting until extra-time.”

[Related: England’s imperfect path to the Euro 2024 final might be what leads it to glory]

Kane’s goals have been of the simpler variety, but they still had to be put away. He reacted quickly to tap the ball home in the group stage against Denmark, headed in the extra-time winner against Slovakia, and was composed from the penalty spot on Wednesday, after Denzel Dumfries’ foul on him led to a much-debated penalty.

England’s all-time leading scorer, Kane’s popularity among his teammates and the public has a lot to do with his selfless nature.

“We do what we do,” Kane added. “We go far in tournaments and get the job done. The boss is not afraid to make chances and do what’s best or the team. 

“People have come on and made important impacts. We are looking forward to Sunday.”

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.

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