England captain Harry Kane has admitted the pain of European Championship final defeat was no easier second time around.
The 31-year-old Bayern Munich striker led the nation into their showdown with Spain in Berlin this summer and saw them end up on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline, three years after they had lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley.
Asked if the pain of defeat was any easier to deal with at the second time of asking, Kane said: “No, it’s not easier. Every defeat is different in their own way. It’s tough.
“Whenever you get so close to reaching one of the pinnacles of your international career and it’s taken away like that, it’s really difficult.
“But ultimately, life moves on. You have to move on, you have to move on, you have to get up and go again and from my point of view, it just makes me even more motivated.
“It puts the fire in the belly to try to get back there again in a major tournament, try to get back there in a World Cup and have a different outcome next time.”
Carsley ‘really, really impressed’ with England players
England interim manager Lee Carsley:
“We’ve had three days training with players. They have been so receptive to myself and the rest of the coaches. We’ve done a lot of work on and off the pitch in terms of clips as well, so I think we are in a good space.
“I’m really, really impressed with the players. I knew they were a high level and a high standard beforehand.
“But to work with them up close for the last three days you can tell that they are not only top players, but they are good people as well, they want to do well, which really helps.”
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