Luke Shaw has defended England teammate Harry Kane after a slow start at the European Championship and lauded the Tottenham forward as 'the best striker in the world'.
Kane, 27, has struggled to impress during this summer's ongoing Euro 2020 tournament with two mediocre displays in front of goal for Gareth Southgate's side.
The Tottenham forward remains a top target for both Manchester United and Man City as they look to reinforce their attacking options, although his club insist they will not sell Kane to a Premier League rival.
Some have suggested the ongoing uncertainty over his future could be having a detrimental impact on Kane's international form, but teammate Shaw insists there is nothing to worry about and has backed the forward to make the difference when it really counts.
“There is no concern at all," Shaw is quoted by The Mirror. "For me, Harry is the best striker in the world. He is a very important part of this team. In fact, almost the most important part of the team. Whether he has not been at his best or not, he is a crucial player for us.
“If his performances aren't as people expected, this happens in tournament football and you can score a goal at any moment. He is such a crucial player on and off the pitch. He has all our backing and I'm not worried at all.
“Of course, there is no denying there is a lot of disappointment. There should always be expectation. The team we have is undoubtedly very strong with the talent we have.
“Maybe this has brought us back down to earth and made us realise that it is not going to be easy. Every game is going to be tough.
“Our aim is to be here for seven games and this is a point in the right direction. We will sit down and watch the game back and analyse what we have to do better because there are things that we could have done better as a team.
“Between us all we always demand high standards and that is a fact, we always have to deliver and try our best. Maybe in the Scotland game we weren’t at our best and that shows. But it is another clean sheet.
“We still have another big game on Tuesday and we have to forget about this one and be ready.”
