Harry Kane has claimed ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke was “trying to create division” with his questioning during a widely shared interview with Jude Bellingham following England’s victory over Norway.
Clarke, a long-serving broadcaster who has been with ITV for more than 30 years, asked Bellingham for his reaction to strong comments made moments earlier by England manager Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel had described his players as “lucky” after the 2-1 win in Miami, suggesting England’s mentality was the key factor in getting them past a Norway side featuring Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and others.
Bellingham’s response quickly spread online, prompting speculation about possible tension between the Real Madrid midfielder and Tuchel as England prepare for Wednesday’s quarter-final against Argentina.
Kane has since shifted the focus towards Clarke and the wider media, arguing that there is “an English mentality” of attempting to stir up unrest within the squad during major tournaments.
Harry Kane has accused ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke of attempting to create division inside the England camp
Clarke faced criticism after asking Jude Bellingham to respond to remarks made by Thomas Tuchel shortly after England’s win over Norway
Bellingham appeared to suggest Tuchel may not fully understand what it is like to play in high-pressure matches
The Three Lions skipper told the BBC: ‘When you are playing in a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn’t really know what the manager has said, what do you want Jude to say?
‘We had just been through a battle. It was really tough out there. It is easy to try and create this division. It seems like an English mentality, an English thing to do at these major tournaments.
‘But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our togetherness – not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.’
Tuchel had also accused his players of ‘making life very, very difficult for themselves’ during the clash in Miami, which went to extra-time after Andres Shjelderup put the Vikings 1-0 up in the first half.
He said: ‘The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for ourselves in the way we played, how we played: sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough.’
Responding to those comments, Kane said that he and players ‘understand’ their manager’s criticisms and ‘know more than anyone’ when they haven’t played well.
The 32-year-old added: ‘We understand what the boss meant. He has been so complimentary of the group. He said the mentality of the group, which sometimes the hardest part, has been at the highest, high level and we have been for some time now.
‘He wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When he talks, it is never scripted. This is what makes him who he is.
It came after Tuchel criticised the performance of his players, branding them ‘lucky’ to win
Piers Morgan took to X today to point out that Gabriel Clarke was merely doing his job
‘When it just comes naturally, you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach.
‘He is one of the best managers in the world for a reason. We understand it. Over the past two years we have got to know him and know what makes him happy.’
Piers Morgan, however, takes a different view. The broadcaster took to X earlier today to point out that Clarke was merely a ‘proper journalist’ doing his job.
‘Love Harry Kane, but it wasn’t Gabriel Clarke who said England’s performance was poor, it was Thomas Tuchel,’ he wrote. ‘If managers show raw honesty like that – which I loved – of course any proper journalist is going to ask the players what they think of what he said!’
Bellingham was England’s saviour once again during the game against Norway, scoring twice to book the Three Lions’ place in the semi-finals.
The first, which put England level after the Vikings broke the deadlock, saw the Birmingham-born star latch onto an Anthony Gordon pass, drive into the box and rifle an effort past Orjan Nyland into the back of the net.
Later, Bellingham booked England’s place in Atlanta when he followed in a Morgan Rogers effort from distance and capitalised on a Nyland spill.
The Galactico was in an unsurprisingly bullish mood after the final whistle when he was asked by Clarke what he thought of Tuchel’s comments.
He responded: ‘Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, (Martin) Odegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sorloth. That’s not an easy team to play against.
‘I think we’ve tried to create a positive environment and we should continue that going into the final four. I couldn’t speak highly enough of the lads. You’re not going to win every game popping the ball and making a thousand passes, sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that again tonight.’
Bellingham and Co now face Lionel Messi’s Argentina tomorrow night in Atlanta for a place in what would England’s first World Cup final in 60 years.
The game will mark the first time England and the Argentinians have faced each other in some 21 years – and will mark the first time Messi has faced England in his career.
A host of pundits have backed the Three Lions to progress ahead of the clash, with Joe Cole claiming the English defence will put Messi ‘to sleep’, while Ian Wright insisted that he ‘doesn’t fear’ Argentina.
Such confidence has, however, sparked fury in Buenos Aires, where the Argentinian media has accused the British press of ‘downplaying’ Lionel Scaloni’s side.
The front page of Ole, a publication based in the country’s capital, read: ‘England is downplaying us – respect the pecking order.
‘There is a sense of triumphalism among the English press and former players, who downplay the Argentinian powerhouse, all while their star Bellingham and manager Tuchel are feuding in public.’
Argentina have, indeed, lifted the World Cup three times since the Three Lions last triumphed some 60 years ago – and have twice knocked England out.
Tuchel’s side are gearing up to face Lionel Messi and Argentina in Atlanta tomorrow
In a quarter-final which has become infamous for Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’, the ex-Barcelona star fired his country to a 2-1 victory at the Azteca Stadium 40 years ago, while in 1998 England suffered heartbreak on penalties against the Argentinians in St Etienne.
Yet, speaking on Stick to Football, ex-England striker Ian Wright insisted that Tuchel’s side are ‘going to beat’ the Argentinians to reach their first World Cup final in 60 years.
‘If we get to a France or a Spain, I think the level goes to another place entirely,’ he said. ‘It’s gotta be difficult – it’s the final, isn’t it? But I don’t fear Argentina like I’d fear France or Spain, because I think there are a lot of fallacies with them.’
The Argentinians, who lifted the trophy four years ago in Qatar, have appeared vulnerable defensively, and had to rely on the brilliance of Messi to overcome both Cape Verde and Egypt in the Round of 32 and Round of 16 stages.
On the same show, Neville pointed out that the country’s centre-back pairing of Premier League stars Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero could be exposed.
He said: ‘They seem to give a goal away between them every single game, and the full-backs aren’t great either – but then you watch them and they’re scoring goals, heading the ball, and something happens for them every time they put that shirt on.
‘I call them the best, worst centre-half pairing in the world, because at times they can be unbelievable.’
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