England recovered without Harry Kane for a decisive 3-0 victory over Greece in the UEFA Nations League.
In an unexpected decision, interim coach Lee Carsley opted to bench the team’s captain, Harry Kane, during Thursday’s match in Athens. This bold choice allowed a younger squad to shine, leading to a comfortable win.
This result stands in stark contrast to their previous meeting with Greece, where Carsley had fielded a team lacking recognized strikers, resulting in a disappointing 2-1 loss at Wembley Stadium.
Focusing on future potential, Carsley selected Ollie Watkins over Kane, emphasizing the need to cultivate leadership within the squad.
“This team needs to try and create leaders and one way to do that is give them opportunities,” he explained, highlighting Watkins’ inclusion alongside Curtis Jones, who made his debut for Liverpool.
Watkins quickly validated his selection by scoring in the seventh minute, converting a cross from 22-year-old winger Noni Madueke, another surprising starter.
Jude Bellingham contributed to the second goal in the 78th minute, his shot striking the post before deflecting off Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos into the net. Jones added the third goal just five minutes later.
“There were a lot of positives,” Carsley remarked. “I see the quality the players have got, and you’re now seeing what they are capable of. … Some might have thought it was a gamble, but I have real confidence in these players.”
Kane entered the match in the 66th minute, and Carsley indicated that he anticipates the captain will start on Sunday against Ireland, where England aims to secure a win to top their group and earn promotion back to the Nations League’s elite tier.
“He was absolutely fine,” Carsley stated. “He wants to play every game, like all top players do. He understands it’s important for other players to gain experience from matches like this. He’s a great example to the rest of the squad.”
“It was brilliant for Ollie to get a goal,” Carsley continued. “If we’re going to position these players for World Cup success, they need as many experiences as they can get. This was not a slight against Harry.”
Despite their efforts, Greece was unable to score, with coach Ivan Jovanovic acknowledging that England had regained their form, ending Greece’s four-match winning streak.
“England is a better team for sure; they have higher quality,” Jovanovic admitted. “The result could have been different, but we were a notch behind them. England was very good, and we were below the level we can play at.”
