On June 17th , in the 1st round of the FIFA World Cup group stage, England defeated Croatia 4-2. After the match, Kane, the captain of the England team, who scored twice, was interviewed by the media in the mixed zone.
Q: What happened at halftime, and what did the coach say in the locker room?
Kane: To be honest, he gave a very good speech.
Especially considering the way we conceded the second goal just before halftime. He told us to completely shake off the shackles and calm down. "What are we so afraid of? Just go out and play."
He said that the way we played after conceding the second goal was not the team we wanted to be. We dropped too deep, simply waiting, and eventually conceded.
He said: "What's the worst that can happen? Lose the first FIFA World Cup group stage match? So what? The game will go on. Go out there and show the world what kind of team we really are."
Q: Do you pay attention to how other star players perform at the FIFA World Cup?
Kane: Obviously, I saw other players score yesterday. I don't like to focus too much on others, but as an athlete, it's only natural. You always want to reach the highest level.
And those players began the FIFA World Cup in brilliant fashion. We waited six full days for our first match, so everyone was eager to get on the field.
As a striker, of course I want to score goals as early as possible. I think, deep down, this competition drives me to keep improving my level.
The FIFA World Cup is such a stage for the best players to showcase themselves at the highest level. So it feels really good to have scored two goals today.
Q:You’ve already scored 10 goals in the FIFA World Cup, which is a significant milestone.
Kane: Of course, this is a very special achievement. It is very special to reach double-digit goals in a major tournament like the FIFA World Cup.
Gary (Lineker) also played in many wonderful FIFA World Cups back then, so being able to match that number truly makes me very happy.
But this is only the first match, after all, and I feel good now.
I said before the match that I am in a very good place, both physically and mentally. This year, my goal tally has reached the highest level of my career.
I feel as though I have reached the peak of my career at the right time.
Of course, there is still a long way to go, and many tough matches await us. But personally, I just enjoy the game.
When I’m in this kind of form, I really enjoy being on the pitch. Now, the most important thing is to recover physically and then look forward to the next match.