Gary Lineker responds to stinging Harry Kane jibe after foul-mouth England criticism

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer admitted they understand Harry Kane's response to their criticism - but they haven't backed down on their analysis of England's display against Denmark.

The former Three Lions strikers were extremely critical about the lethargic 1-1 draw with Denmark. Kane was specifically earmarked by Lineker, who also, albeit in a slightly tongue-in-cheek manner, described the team's display as "s***".

In his recent press conference, Kane issued a response to the pair's criticism, telling them to be more supportive while also reminding them that they were unable to win a major international tournament with the Three Lions themselves. While speaking on their podcast, Lineker and Shearer admitted that they would have issued a similar response to Kane, were they sitting in the same chair as the England captain.

They also said that they hate criticising England, but were left with no other choice, such was the disjointedness of their performance. Lineker began on The Rest is Football : “We’ve talked about this a few times about journalists not being brave enough to ask their own questions.

"It’s a guarantee that whoever that was would have been critical about it himself. I think they do it, A - to stir the pot, and B - because they are too scared to ask questions from their own selves. So, I get it, it puts Harry on the spot, but I think he actually answered it fine.

"There was one or two bits in there [I didn’t agree with] but it’s not easy when you are thrown that kind of thing.” Shearer replied: “We’ve both been there as England captains when you are sat in front of the media when England have not played well at all or you as an individual have not played well.

"I would’ve answered the question in exactly the same way as England captain as Harry did yesterday. He just said, 'They’re entitled to their opinion, I understand they also have a job to do’. And we do, we have to tell it how it is.”

Harry Kane speaking in a press conference for England

Lineker continued: “If we said, ‘Oh, they actually played really well’ we would be lying for a start, because they didn’t play well and Harry knows they didn’t play well. There is one bit there which I understand what he says, [when he said] ‘But they have a responsibility of being ex-England players and they should know what it’s like. It’s not like they have won anything’ and the rest of that effect.

“Fine. Fine, and he’s absolutely right. But I will say one thing, the last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. We want England to perform well on the pitch and the best punditry of all is when England play well and we are excited and enthusiastic about them so we can say, ‘This performance was great, that performance was great’. We don’t want to be critical but we have to be at times. And we did it balanced as well.”

Summing up both their points, Shearer finished by saying: "I think it's really important we never get personal, and that's the key. I think the simple and easiest thing is, did England play well in that game against Denmark? No, they were terrible, so we have to say that. If England are brilliant, we'll say they're brilliant, it's just the way it is. As a player you always get a right of reply on the pitch."

Alan Shearer speaking into a microphone for their podcast

Kane's right of reply will come on Tuesday when the Three Lions face Slovenia in their final match of Group C. A win will see England top the group and likely face Austria in the round of 16, while a draw will leave them vulnerable to being overtaken by Denmark.

If England were to be defeated by Slovenia, and Denmark overcome Serbia in their final group match, the Three Lions would drop to third place. If four points is enough to go through as one of the best performing third placed teams, they would face either Portugal or the winners of Group E, which would be one of Belgium, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.

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