Lethargic Harry Kane risks becoming England's version of Cristiano Ronaldo - his place in Gareth Southgate's line up shouldn't be assured for Euro 2024 semi-final

Kane and Ronaldo might be contrasting characters in many ways, with the England striker appearing to be a far more humble figure than the towering ego of his Portuguese counterpart.

But there are also some obvious similarities between them. They both captain their national teams and are their countries' all-time top scorers. They have each won the Golden Boot at a major tournament and have taken their team to the final of a Euros. Their place in their nation's hall of fame is already secured.

However, they have been dragging their teams down at this tournament. And despite the clear signs of decline, both their managers have insisted on keeping them in their line-ups and on the pitch as long as possible, compromising their team's overall performances as a result.

And yet, there was little mention of Kane's negative impact on the team in the write ups after England overcame Switzerland on penalties, after he had finally been taken off by Southgate. Only one pundit was prepared to draw a comparison between the lumbering striker and Ronaldo.

Step forward Jamie O'Hara, the former Tottenham midfielder turned agitator-in-chief for talkSPORT radio.

"He doesn't look fit, he's being lazy. He's really annoying me," O'Hara said. "I'm worried that we've got a Ronaldo in the team, and that we have to play him. He's a problem in this tournament, he really is, he's been miles off it. He just slows the game down."

O'Hara urged Gareth Southgate to drop Kane for the semi-final against the Netherlands, shocking his fellow presenter Jason Cundy. The former Chelsea player pointed out that dropping the captain for the semi would be "enormous" and could land Southgate "in massive trouble" if England were eliminated by the Dutch.

Cundy, however, could not defend Kane's performance against Switzerland.

"Harry Kane's performance today was way off it, he offered nothing," Cundy said. "When Saka hits the byline, you're looking for Kane to get beyond [his marker] - he was on the penalty spot! You want him to get on the six-yard box. Two or three times it happened, Kane is on his heels, I don't know what it is, I'm not sure how fit he is."

Cundy inadvertently summed up the problem by comparing Southgate's dilemma with Kane to the one Martinez faced. He added: "That's a big call, that's like Martinez dropping Ronaldo last night. But imagine he didn't play him and they go out, people would say, 'Why you dropping Ronaldo?' That's a toughy, there ain't no right answer there, because I understand the question you've asked, and I agree with you, Kane is off it.

"That's a massive call, and I'm not sure right now it's the right one to make, because you've then made a statement. If you drop him in the semi-final, and you get to the final, do your start him in the final? Your skipper? That's a tough answer."

But now they are out, Portugal surely wish that Martinez had the courage to drop Ronaldo from the starting line-up against France. Or at the very least take him off and replace him with Diogo Jota or Goncalo Ramos during the game.

Ronaldo lacked the pace and power to get on the end of crosses or to get ahead of a defender and was always screaming for the ball to be played to his feet as he did not have the legs to latch on to through balls. He also insisted on taking almost every free-kick Portugal were awarded and going for goal each time, never mind how ridiculous the angle was.

But the 39-year-old was actually more involved in his quarter-final than Kane was. He had 41 touches compared to the England captain's 27. He had three shots to Kane's two and at least managed to test the opposing goalkeeper, unlike his English counterpart, who had one shot blocked and missed the target with the other. Ronaldo also completed double the amount of passes of Kane, who made just 10.

Kane does at least have two goals to his name at this Euros, unlike Ronaldo, who departed a major tournament without scoring for the very first time. But both his goals have been simple finishes from close range and he is not pulling his weight.

He was incapable of leading England's press against Switzerland, which was slightly improved compared to the previous games but still not enough to put their opponents under pressure.

He also failed to chime with Bukayo Saka, England's standout player, meaning many of the darting runs the Arsenal winger made behind the Swiss defence ended up going to waste.

One moment in the first half illustrated the problem perfectly, when Saka got to the byline and pulled a low cross back across the box, but Kane made no movement towards the ball.

"That is a good ball and Bukayo Saka has every chance to say, 'where are you?' Saka is waiting for someone to get into the box and Harry Kane doesn't move at all really," said BBC commentator Alan Shearer.

'Kane doesn't move at all' would be a fitting description for the striker's five matches in Germany and England cannot afford to keep carrying him. Kane may have had a sensational season with Bayern Munich and outscored everyone else on the continent but his exertions have caught up with him and he is clearly still feeling the effects of the back injury he sustained towards the end of the campaign.

He is nine years younger than Ronaldo but at this tournament he has looked physically spent. He has played 463 minutes in Germany, only 20 fewer than Ronaldo, and Southgate kept him on for too long against Switzerland, perhaps only taking him off after he clattered into the manager and tripped over a box.

Kane made it clear that he would be ready to face the Netherlands but it would be in England's best interests for him to start on the bench. Ollie Watkins would stand a better chance of getting at Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij, who are both 32, and stretching the Dutch defence. Then with them worn down late in the game or in extra-time, by all means unleash Kane.

As Cundy had warned, dropping Kane might be interpreted as a statement but it need not be. Southgate does not need to make an example of Kane. All he needs to do is pick a team with the best chance of beating the Netherlands and making it to the final. And right now that means giving the all-time top scorer a breather and not making the same mistake Martinez made with Ronaldo.