Will Harry Kane start for England at the World Cup? ‘What’s next’ argument made by former Premier League striker as Thomas Tuchel is told how to get the best out of Bayern Munich forward

Kane's recent UEFA Champions League display against Paris Saint-Germain sparked a wave of criticism, with former German international Dietmar Hamann labelling the Bayern Munich striker as "very poor." The match ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for Bayern, but Kane's impact was minimal. He failed to record a single shot, didn’t touch the ball inside the penalty area, and completed just 62 per cent of his passes in the first half - statistics that contrast sharply with his dominant domestic form in the Bundesliga.

The muted performance reignited the debate over Kane's effectiveness in high-stakes European matches. The English striker was looking forward to silencing his doubters with a match-winning performance in Der Klassiker but was forced off due to injury in Bayern's 1-1 draw at the weekend.

Despite the backlash, former Watford striker Troy Deeney leapt to Kane's defence. Speaking to talkSPORT.com, Deeney dismissed Hamman's comments and stated: "Boring, boring. So, if they don't win and he doesn't score, he's not a big factor. But when they win and they score, it's not his fault, it's everyone's fault. How does that work? I don't know Didi Hamann, he was a wonderful footballer. But I think he talks s*** sometimes."

Hamann’s criticism extended beyond club football, as he addressed whether Kane will still be England’s first-choice striker for the 2026 World Cup at 32 years old. This sentiment follows a pattern of scrutiny Kane faced during England’s Euro 2024 campaign, where some questioned his fitness and overall influence.

Deeney dismissed these doubts, firmly backing Kane to continue leading England’s attack. "Of course, he is [going to start]," Deeney said.

"This is the thing in media and football, we're always wondering what's next. Harry Kane is still scoring, and still delivering. I like Ollie [Watkins] and the boys, I think they're nice kids. But they're not stand-outs. Even last year there was an argument, who should've started between Watkins and [Ivan] Toney. They're the arguments, not who's starting above Harry Kane."

Deeney also offered advice to incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel on how to best utilize Kane. The German, who will officially take charge on January 1, is already familiar with Kane, having played a pivotal role in bringing him to Bayern Munich in August 2023.

"I think you need to get runners off Harry Kane," Deeney said.

"He's never been rapid anyway. But as you get older, you can't do repeated sprints, you've got younger people that need to run for him. That's the game. I think people get caught up in trying to slag Harry Kane off. I don't think there's any need for that."

Kane is currently nursing a muscle injury and will be out of action for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, his Bayern team-mates will take to the pitch against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday evening in a round-of-16 DFB-Pokal clash.