According to Al Jazeera, Harry Kane has spoken candidly about the pain of losing back-to-back European Championship finals, describing it as "as tough as it gets" in football.
"Losing in a final is as tough as it gets," said the England captain after their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 showpiece. "We did really well to get back into the game, but we couldn't use that to push on."
Kane, who featured in both the Euro 2020 and 2024 final losses, acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat. "That's as painful as it gets in a football match," he lamented.
The England striker felt his team struggled to control possession in the latter stages. "We didn't keep the ball well enough. There are a lot of tired legs at the end of the tournament," he said.
Kane was left to rue a late chance that was cleared off the line by Spain's Dani Olmo. "We had a big chance at the end when they cleared one off the line," he noted.
Despite the disappointment, Kane remained proud of his team's efforts. "It's been a tough tournament for me personally and the team as a whole. We did well to get here but ultimately we are going to be judged on the final."
Looking ahead, the 30-year-old expressed his unwavering support for manager Gareth Southgate. "We love the manager, its not the time to talk about it – it's up to him to go away and think about it.
Kane's heartfelt words encapsulate the pain of coming so close to glory, only to fall short once again on the biggest stage. The England captain and his teammates will no doubt be determined to bounce back stronger from this setback.