Harry Kane has opened up on what makes England's front line so difficult to contain, following a dominant 7-0 demolition of Croatia in Rijeka that handed the hosts the heaviest defeat in their history.
The result, secured on Saturday night, saw Thomas Tuchel's side briefly leapfrog Spain to sit top of Nations League Group A3. Kane was among the standout performers, netting twice, while Bukayo Saka also found the net on two occasions. Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and substitute Morgan Rogers added further goals as England ran riot against their Croatian hosts.
Speaking to ITV after the match, Kane detailed why he believes the combination of himself, Saka, Bellingham and Gordon has proven so lethal since the summer's World Cup. According to the captain, the quartet's interchangeable roles make them a nightmare proposition for opposing defences.
"There's freedom," Kane said. "All four of us are good players. We can play in the 10 pocket, Ant can play as a No9, B can come in as a 10, Jude can play as a 9, I can play as a midfielder."
He added that this fluidity extends beyond attacking phases, with the group equally comfortable tracking back when possession is lost. "It's so hard for the opposition to pick it up. The bottom line is if you lose the ball, we're all smart enough and good enough to cover in midfield or defence," Kane explained, before praising the wider squad's contribution against Croatia. "That's the way we want to play. For them, it was so hard to pick a man and press. Alex and Elliot with their movement were outstanding. The centre-backs, the full-backs: every man was at the highest level."
Asked to reflect on the overall display, Kane described a performance of total control from the opening whistle. "Unbelievable from start to finish. We spoke a lot about having a 90-minute game where, from start to finish we were completely dominant both with the ball and without the ball and I think that was it right there," he said.
The striker also pointed to England's physical and positional superiority as a defining factor in the rout. "We're at our best when we're free, physically overpowering and make it a Premier League-level game. You saw that out there today. They couldn't live with our pace, our movement, our runs. We were clinical as well," Kane added.
The win was also notable for the emergence of Alex Scott, who made his first competitive start for England on just his second international appearance. The Bournemouth midfielder impressed both Tuchel and his senior teammates, and spoke afterwards about the experience of playing alongside Kane for the first time.
"I knew he was ridiculous," Scott said of his captain. "I've been watching him since I was a little boy, so I knew his level. But up close, you can really see his level. And that's why it's been spoken about the Ballon d'Or and things like that. Jude, the same."
The emphatic victory underlines the form Tuchel's England have shown since the World Cup, with the attacking core of Kane, Saka, Bellingham and Gordon continuing to torment opposition defences at international level. The result also sends a strong early message in the race for top spot in Nations League Group A3, as England look to maintain their momentum in upcoming fixtures.
Based on reporting from standard-football.