Workload may be taking heavy toll on Kane

Chantilly: When Harry Kane takes to the pitch for England’s Euro 2016 tie against Wales he will have already played 4,777 minutes of football for club and country this season — far more than any other striker in Roy Hodgson’s squad.

Kane did not touch the ball inside the Russian penalty area and while much of the debate has centred on Hodgson’s curious decision to deploy the striker to take corners and free-kicks — former England internationals Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham have been among the critics — there was also an issue around how isolated he was and the poor service he received.

But did he also lack sharpness? It is undeniable that Kane has played a lot of football and although the physical data available to the England coaching staff suggests he is not suffering, there could be a mental tiredness that is less easily quantifiable. “He is 22 years old but unlike some of the new international players of the past years, most notably [Theo] Walcott and [Jack] Wilshere, his path to the top has not necessarily been through many games from a young age,” said Michael Davison, a football medical specialist and the managing director of the Isokinetic Clinic in London.

Indeed, Kane made more appearances last season than he did in four campaigns between 2010 and 2014 (58 matches), which were largely spent on loan and coming off the substitutes’ bench.

Davison added: “He is unlikely to be burnt out but in the past two years, though, he has played 56 and 61 games and had only two weeks away from the game. So he is likely to be suffering a mental fatigue more than a physical fatigue.” Kane’s 4,777 minutes on the pitch this season can be compared to the other four players listed as strikers in Hodgson’s squad at these euros. Wayne Rooney — now being deployed in midfield — has played 3,948 minutes for club and country, the equivalent of nine fewer matches than Kane, while for Jamie Vardy it is 3,662 minutes, for Sturridge 1,768 minutes and for Marcus Rashford 1,476 minutes.

Experts such as Davison would suggest that the optimum ‘band’ for players to be in, in terms of remaining at their peak, is somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 minutes of football. Only Kane is over that among the forwards (although Adam Lallana has played 4,071 minutes). Not just that, but Kane often covers far more distance on the pitch than other forwards — he can run up to 13km in a Premier League match, and often at pace. It has led to those suggestions that he may be tired. “I am a huge fan of Kane, but he looked very leggy against Russia,” Shearer contended, although he added he would retain Kane against Wales.

Those who know Kane best claim that it is not unusual for him to put in such a performance as against Russia — and to follow it with a more dynamic, goalscoring display. He did it on numerous occasions for Spurs last season. It is all part of Kane’s insatiable appetite for self-improvement, which is evidenced in the way he that has reshaped his body as well as his game to become a key component of Hodgson’s team. Kane’s ability and his outstanding attitude are significant factors in keeping him in the team and the number of minutes he has played. But it could be taking its toll.

— The Telegraph Group Limited,London, 2016