'I don't really like it' - Harry Kane hits out at raft of England squad dropouts as Bayern Munich star suggests players have 'taken advantage' & insists Three Lions 'come before anything'

Eight players withdrew from Lee Carsley's England squad for their Nations League double-header against Greece and the Republic of Ireland on Monday, prompting a fierce rebuke from captain Kane. The Bayern Munich striker emphatically claimed that playing for the Three Lions "comes before anything" in an eye-opening assessment of the situation.

Manchester City pair Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Chelsea duo Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, and Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale all pulled out of the squad.

“I think England comes before anything. It comes before club and it is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer," Kane told ITV when asked about ex-manager Gareth Southgate's lasting legacy.

“Gareth [Southgate] was on hot on that and he wasn’t afraid and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that started to drift from certain players. It’s a shame this week obviously. Yeah, I think it’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit.

“I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think as I just said there England comes before anything, any club situation. The joy to play for England. I think Gareth brought that back. Every camp, people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and, yeah, that’s the most important thing.”

Carsley will call upon some inexperienced names as England look to finish top of their group. Thursday's opponents, Greece, currently sit in first place, three points ahead of the Three Lions.