"It's Lamine Yamal's birthday? congratulations then!"

Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane spoke at a press conference ahead of the European Championship final. They will face Spain, an opponent against whom the striker understands the details will be key and his manager agrees.

"We are extremely happy to be in this situation and, of course, we are desperate to go further than we did three years ago. It was a tough end to that European Championship and we know that tomorrow, it will be an extremely tough night. The boss says it will depend on the small details," said the striker.

"I always try to be someone who learns from disappointment and difficult moments. It helps me to improve. I'm excited to be back in an EURO final and now it's about executing the game plan we want and going forward. We've done fantastic in a lot of tournaments. You try not to think too much about what winning would mean for me and my country, but you use it as motivation," he added.

"When you're here, you're in a bubble. You see videos and you see the fans at the games... I'm extremely motivated by the opportunity to make so many people, including myself, happy. Have I spoken to the women's team? No, but what they achieved in 2022 was incredible and brought the country together. We are very excited about doing the same tomorrow," added the former Tottenham striker.

"The team is confident, but we never take anything for granted. We have a lot of great players in the team, a lot of cohesion, but it's definitely about what happens when you go out on the pitch. The support I've had since I've been in Germany has been unbelievable not only for Bayern but also during this championship. I really appreciate it and I'm sure at least a few German fans are wishing me well," he continued.

Asked if he would exchange any individual award for the EURO title, he replied: "Yes, of course. It's no secret that I've never won a collective title and, with every year that goes by, you get more motivated. I would change everything for us to have a special night and win tomorrow.

"It's Lamine Yamal's birthday? congratulations then! You can see he plays without fear and with a lot of freedom. Well done on his still short, but very good, career so far," he concluded.

 

July 13, 2024