England captain Harry Kane was forced off injured after crashing into Gareth Southgate in the dramatic Euro 2024 quarter-final victory against Switzerland.
The incident happened in the second half of extra-time when Swiss star Manuel Akanji collided with Kane, causing him to go flying towards the England bench and the advertisement boards. The Bayern Munich striker had been pursuing a loose ball when the Manchester City defender bumped into him.
That sent the 30-year-old tumbling into the Three Lions boss on the sideline, who tried to catch his star man but was unable to prevent him hitting the deck. The painful encounter left Kane clutching his thigh before being swiftly replaced by Brentford's Ivan Toney - and prompted similar reactions from the watching England faithful online.
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One fan took to X, formerly Twitter, to joke: "Can’t believe Southgate just attacked Harry Kane like that!" Another said: "Can’t believe Southgate fouled Kane." And a third added: "Southgate tries to block Kane from falling but even that he can't do."
Another amused England fan said: "Southgate - inspired. Trip up #Kane. Then bring him off to stop him blasting his penalty over the top." But a fifth supporter joked it was the other way around, posting: "Disgusting foul by Kane on Southgate there, how did he not get sent off for that??"
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With the match poised at 1-1 and heading towards a penalty shoot-out at the time of Kane's substitution, Southgate would have been counting on Kane to take a crucial spot-kick if neither team managed to secure a late victory. However, Toney proved to be a suitable replacement, having made a positive impact in the previous round when he set up Kane's winning goal against Slovakia with a header.
The first half of the match was uneventful, but the deadlock was finally broken by Swiss striker Breel Embolo, who scored from inside the England box. This seemed to ignite Southgate's team into action, reports the Express. In a confusing moment, Jude Bellingham refused to leave the pitch when the fourth official mistakenly held up his number for substitution.
Shortly after this mix-up, Bukayo Saka curled a shot into the far corner to level the score. England managed to progress without the need for Kane, as Cole Palmer, Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold successfully converted all five penalties while Akanji missed, securing the Three Lions' advancement.
Despite their victory, England will be concerned about the availability of their star player Kane for the semi-final against either Holland or Turkey, due to a thigh issue that was serious enough to force him off the pitch 10 minutes before the penalty shoot-out.
