Bowen Rallies Behind Kane Amidst Critique Of England's Euro 2024 Campaign

Jarrod Bowen has defended Harry Kane, asserting there is no panic over the England captain's limited involvement in their first two Euro 2024 games. Despite leading Group C with four points, England's performances in Germany have faced scrutiny. A narrow 1-0 win over Serbia and a 1-1 draw with Denmark have raised concerns.

England's attacking statistics are underwhelming. They have only attempted 17 shots, with seven on target. Against Denmark, just 17 per cent of their open-play touches occurred in the final third. Kane, who scored in the Denmark match, was substituted in the 70th minute after recording only 22 touches, two fewer than against Serbia.

Kane's debut season at Bayern Munich saw him score 44 goals, but he has struggled to replicate that form at Euro 2024. This has led to widespread criticism of his performances. However, Bowen empathises with Kane, noting his significant contributions to England over the years.

"We know Harry's quality and how many goals he's scored," said Bowen. "He hit the bar against Serbia with an unbelievable save and scored again against Denmark." Bowen highlighted Kane's leadership qualities both on and off the pitch.

Bowen dismissed concerns about Kane's lack of touches or involvement in games. "Of course, he might want to be involved more," Bowen said. "But he got his goal the other night and could have had two after two group games."

Bowen acknowledged the challenges strikers face in being consistently involved in matches. "Sometimes you're not involved as much as you want to be," he said. "But when the opportunity comes, we know we can score goals, and Harry has shown that."

Kane is one of only three players, alongside Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, to score for England at four different major international tournaments. His ability to find the net remains crucial for England as they aim to progress further in Euro 2024.