'We have to dust ourselves down' - Harry Kane urges England to stay positive after narrow Nations League defeat to Spain

England’s return to action following the World Cup proved to be a rollercoaster affair at Wembley Stadium, as Tuchel’s side fell to a defeat against Spain. The contest got off to the worst possible start for England when Lamine Yamal found the net just two minutes into the game. However, the response from the hosts was exactly what Tuchel would have looked for in his first outing since the summer’s tournament. Anthony Gordon drew England level following a rapid counter-attack, and Kane himself headed the Three Lions into a 2-1 lead just four minutes later.

Kane believes that the consistency of these high-level performances is the final piece of the puzzle for England. While they have shown they can compete in bursts, the skipper is aware that sustaining that pressure for the duration of a match is essential at this level. When asked if the spell around half-time represented the benchmark for the team, Kane responded: “I think so. So we have to take the positives from it. It’s disappointing now, of course, but we have to dust ourselves down and go again in a few days.”

The turning point of the match arrived when England were awarded a penalty that could have seen them establish a two-goal cushion. Kane, usually so reliable from twelve yards, saw his effort strike the crossbar and stay out, a moment that shifted the momentum back in favour of the visitors. Spain capitalised on the reprieve, with Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal scoring to turn the game on its head and secure all three points for the reigning world and European champions. It was a harsh lesson in efficiency for a young England side that had dominated large spells of the first half.

Despite the frustration of the result and his own personal disappointment from the penalty spot, the Bayern Munich striker was quick to point out that the gulf between the two nations was minimal on the night. "We’re playing against the reigning world and European champions and we went toe-to-toe with them. On another day, for sure, we’re the ones who win the game," Kane said.

Despite the result, Kane was adamant that the performance levels shown by the Three Lions were indicative of a team capable of challenging the very best in international football. It was a night of high drama in the capital, where clinical finishing was met by unfortunate errors, leaving the home side empty-handed despite a spirited display that saw them lead at the interval.

Reflecting on the flow of the game, Kane said: “I think I spoke before about how we reached good levels at the World Cup but didn’t quite put a full 90 minutes together. It was probably similar again today. We had a lot of good moments, but I think that period was as good as we’ve played in a long, long time. That’s the standard that we know we can reach.”

There is little time for England to dwell on the defeat as they prepare for their next Nations League fixture. The squad will travel to face Czechia on Tuesday, September 29, looking to get their first points of the international window on the board. With four games scheduled in this period, the opportunity for a quick recovery is built into the calendar. The focus now shifts to iron out the mistakes that cost them at Wembley while retaining the attacking intent that troubled the visitors. The clash with Czechia offers the perfect stage to translate positive performances into a tangible result.