Kane relishing the chance to make history
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England captain Harry Kane says his side needs to take full advantage of playing at Wembley when they face Italy in the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday.
After four weeks of entertainment, England and Italy will get the chance to add their name to the history books, with the Three Lions looking to win the tournament for the first time.
The Azzurri have won the competition before, but their previous success came back in 1968, and both sides will be feeling the nerves come kick-off.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy booked their place in the final after beating Spain on penalties on Tuesday, while England needed extra time to squeeze past Denmark on Wednesday.
Kane netted the winner in extra time, and he will be hoping to lead them to glory this weekend as they prepare to play in their first major final for 55 years.
Gareth Southgate’s side have had home advantage for all but one of their Euro 2020 games so far, and Kane believes his team can feed off the crowd as they try to write their name in history alongside the class of 1966.
He told UEFA.com: “In 1966, obviously, England won the World Cup, and it was such an amazing achievement as a team and as a country. The fans are so behind us, every tournament, they’re pushing us and willing us to get far, and this has been no different.
“Now we have that opportunity to create even more history, and [for] our parents and family members who’ve never seen England in a final before – and I know that goes across the whole country.
“It’s a special moment to be in, and if we can finish the job and win, then obviously we’ll be remembered in history for the rest of our lives. That’s the challenge we have, so we’ll have to go and take it.
“It would mean everything to me and this team, for sure. I’ve said before: winning something with your nation would surpass anything you can do at club level, so we have that opportunity. It’s been a long time since our country was in a final, so we’ll just have to grab it with both hands now.”
Both managers have minor selection headaches ahead of kick-off, with Mancini still without left-back Leonardo Spinazzola.
The Roma defender ruptured his Achilles tendon in the quarter-finals against Belgium, meaning Emerson Palmieri filled in at left-back and is set to do so again.
Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne are set to retain their place up front, while Southgate needs to decide if he will play with a back three or back four on Sunday.
Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw started as the full-backs against Denmark, while Jack Grealish and Phil Foden started the game on the bench.
Foden missed training on Saturday due to a knock but both he and Grealish may be needed from the bench as England try to get their hands on the trophy.