Harry Kane reacts to claims England are ‘over-reliant’ on him after goalless Ghana draw | OneFootball

Harry Kane has denied that England are over-reliant on him for goals after they drew a blank in their World Cup stalemate against Ghana.

The captain missed the best chance of the 0-0 draw, blazing over the bar in the final minutes, but had helped England to a 4-2 victory over Croatia when he scored their first two goals of the World Cup.

Kane, with 81 international goals, has scored more than the rest of Thomas Tuchel’s squad have between them while, when he sat out the March games against Uruguay and Japan, England only scored one goal in 180 minutes.

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Harry Kane missed a great chance late on in England’s draw with Ghana (Getty)

But the Bayern Munich forward insisted the burden on him is not too heavy, saying: “I don’t think so. After a 0-0 draw it’s easy to maybe say that straight after the game. But there are going to be games like that in the tournament where it’s going to be fine margins.

“I had a good enough chance at the end to score, and I’d back myself to score more often than not and we’d win 1-0 and everyone is happy. But it wasn’t to be.

“I don’t think there is an over-reliance. I think any No 9 at a big team, people expect them to score goals and it’s no different for me. When you don’t, there are a few questions. It is what it is.

“It’s part of a striker’s life. I’ve had many chances go my way this year, chances that probably shouldn’t have gone in. Nine times out of 10 I score [the chance against Ghana] but in football there is a feeling that it just doesn’t go your way.”

Kane also revealed he met up with the former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady when he was at England’s base camp in Kansas City.

“I just caught up for a coffee, we were talking about life,” he said. “I hadn't seen him for a couple of years. He was opening a card store there in Kansas, so it’s nice. He was asking about the team and Bayern, and a few other guys stopped by and spoke to him as well.

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Kane would usually be backed to finish his late chance (PA Wire)

“He’s a good friend of mine now, and it’s a shame I didn’t have more time with him for the team to maybe ask some questions and things like that, but who knows? We might have a bit of time later on in the tournament. He’s a big football fan, and he’s obviously hoping we do well as well.”

England missed a chance to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup by drawing with Ghana, who beat Panama 1-0 in their opening game at the tournament. After Panama fell 1-0 to Croatia on Tuesday, Group L will go down to the final matchday on Saturday.

England will play Panama and are well poised to reach the next round, whether that be as group leaders, runners-up, or one of the eight best third-placed teams at the World Cup.