"It's the biggest game in my career so far," said England captain Harry Kane ahead of Sunday's Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley. "Doing something special with England would probably surpass anything at club level, just because of the long wait to win a trophy."
Sunday 11 July 2021 20:01, UK
Harry Kane says it serves as great motivation to think he could follow in the footsteps of legendary England captain Bobby Moore by lifting the nation's second piece of major silverware at Wembley on Sunday.
Captain Kane, who is two goals away from finishing as top scorer at Euro 2020, says Sunday's final against Italy is too close to call and will be the biggest game of his career.
It has been 55 years since Moore lifted the World Cup at Wembley, and Kane knows how much it means to the nation to have an opportunity to end that barren run on Sunday.
The Tottenham striker says he and his team-mates will be fighting for all those players that have come before them, but fallen short in the quest to win silverware for England when they play Italy on Sunday.
"Whenever your name is mentioned in the same company as players like that, it only gives you motivation, gives you confidence," said Kane.
"It will be an incredible achievement, we've all waited so long as players as public as people to see us in the final. These are the opportunities to grab with both hands.
"We have an amazing chance to win our second major trophy as a country. The players we've had over the years and produced, we feel proud to be representing them as well.
"We've got to be excited for it, we've got to enjoy it. We're all winners here, we all want to win. And we're going to need every bit of that to get the job done on Sunday."
Kane admits winning any silverware with England would surpass any achievement he could have at club level because of the long wait for success this nation has had to endure.
The Spurs striker has experience of a major European final, losing the 2019 Champions League to Liverpool in Madrid, and is focused on ensuring this time he wins the first major trophy of his career.
"It's the biggest game in my career so far," added Kane. "Probably the biggest game of all our careers.
"Doing something special with England would probably surpass anything at club level just because of the magnitude, the long wait for a final, the long wait to win a trophy.
"At the moment, it doesn't feel too different. We've come back to camp, pretty much in the same routine we have been for the last few games. A bit of nerves, a bit of excitement. As the game gets closer, you're more focused."
Sky Sports News' England man Rob Dorsett reports from St George's Park as Gareth Southgate prepares for the country's biggest game in 55 years with Italy standing in the way of Euro 2020 glory...
'Quick turnaround for biggest ever game'
Thursday was all about recovery from an England perspective. They split the squad down the middle with the 13 who hadn't featured against Denmark out on the grass. The 13 that had went through a recovery session indoors, whether in the gym or the hydrotherapy pool, had massages and physio.
Gareth Southgate has been very keen to make sure there was an emotional recovery for those players as well. The 120 minutes in the semi-final had an emotional as well as a physical drain on the players.
Friday is all about preparation and is the first time they are looking ahead and planning specifically with Italy in mind. It's going to be a really tough challenge against a team that hasn't lost an international match in 33 games. It's a really quick turnaround for England, the quickest they've had in the tournament.
Southgate will have only two training sessions with the full squad available - Friday and Saturday - to get his tactical plan in place. Most people agree, myself included, that Italy have been the best side throughout this tournament, and this will be the biggest challenge that Southgate has faced in his managerial career.
It's certainly the biggest game the England players will have ever been involved in - even those who have been involved in Champions League finals recently.
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