Toney started off at hometown club Northampton and his displays as a youngster in League Two earned him a move to Newcastle.
His time at St James’ Park failed but League One loan spells at Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Wigan and two at Scunthorpe earned him a move to third-tier side Peterborough.
From there, he became League One Player of the Year, then the Championship top scorer at Brentford – before Premier League promotion would be followed by a call-up to the England team.
Harry Kane says he is “fresh and fit” to play despite concerns, but adds that England have “not played the way we wanted” ahead of their final group game with Slovenia.
Kane missed Bayern Munich’s final game of the Bundesliga season with a back injury, and some have questioned whether he is still carrying a knock after a sluggish start of Euro 2024.
However, the Three Lions captain assured fans that he is ready and offered an insight into some of the tactics of his play so far.
“I physically feel fresh and fit,” he told a press conference. “I know sometimes when I’ve had bad games, there’s always someone looking for a reason why.
“It’s a heightened environment in a tournament and there’s been more chatter, but I feel fit and ready and I’ll play for as long as the manager wants me to.
“My preparation [for the tournament] was pretty good. The first game I felt as fit as I have all season. I came off last game [against Denmark] but that was down to the manager wanting to freshen things up.
“Going into this knockout phase I want to feel 100 per cent, and I feel as if I’m there.
Image: Harry Kane scored his first Euro 2024 goal against Denmark, and was replaced in the second half
“Some games I will stay high, sometimes I’ll drop in. As a team we’re trying to find some fluidity, and we haven’t quite clicked right. But we’re all at a high level, that will come.
“Most importantly, with the ball we need to be better, keep the ball, play higher, and get in between the lines. That will come, but we need to go out and prove it. Hopefully that comes on Tuesday.”
Kane went on to admit that he and his England team-mates have not performed at their best so far in Germany, but called for calm with them top of Group C heading into the final game.
“Momentum is the right word,” the striker said. “Before the tournament if you said we’d be in a position to qualify after two games, we’d have taken it.
“We can be honest and say we have not played the way we wanted to up to now.
“Tuesday is important for the feeling of the group, for an all-round better feeling coming off the pitch and take that into the rest of the tournament. We want to finish top.
Harry Kane was made an offer he could not refuse by a local journalist ahead of England’s crucial Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia
“Calm is important. Most of us have been here and done it – we’ve given England fans some fantastic memories.
“After the tournament you can judge us. During the tournament, it’s down to us to get it right, and find how to do it right. We want to try and find a solution.
“We know 99 per cent of England fans are behind us, but everyone has a right to have an opinion.”
A win for England in Cologne on Tuesday would ensure they go through to the knockout rounds as group winners, and Kane hopes the team can use the match against Slovenia as a springboard for the rest of the tournament.
“We definitely want to win the group,” he said. “It’s not just to avoid [certain teams], but we want momentum in the knockout stages.
“We expect to finish top, but if we don’t, it’s not a panic. We want to put a marker down on Tuesday and use that for the rest of the tournament.
“We have a good environment where everyone talks openly and honestly. It’s positive messages. We know the reality of where we are, but we also know we can improve and get better. The new or younger players are catching onto that pretty quick.”
England’s team press ranks as the third-worst at Euro 2024 – so what’s causing the breakdown?
Harry Kane has admitted England are not sure how to press when opponents start dropping deeper after two lacklustre showings at Euro 2024.
One of the many criticisms of England is playing too deep, especially out of possession, and therefore being unable to play out from the back.
Sky Sports Gary Neville admits that Gareth Southgate will have to make changes to his starting XI and possibly his system if they are to progress deep into the competition at the Euros
Kane told BBC Sport: “It’s something we’ve got to try to get better at, not just when we score.
“We’re starting games well, but when the opponents are dropping a few players deeper we’re not quite sure how to get the pressure on and who’s supposed to be going.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville takes a closer look at where England will need to improve as they bid to win the Euros and admits that playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield may have to change
Gareth Southgate added: “We’ve played teams who are quite fluid in back threes, it’s not easy to get pressure on them, but we’ve definitely got to do it better than we have in these two matches.”
“[Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield is] an experiment, we know we don’t have a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips but we’re trying some different things – and at the moment we’re not flowing as we’d like.”
So, when are England sitting deeper and how is that affecting the press?
Rob Dorsett delivers his verdict on England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark and believes there are real concerns for Gareth Southgate after another underwhelming performance at Euro 2024
How bad is the press?
When it comes to the press, the numbers support Kane’s comments: England rank third-worst at the tournament so far for allowing opponents to make passes freely without intervention.
The metric visualised below measures the average number of opposition passes a team allows before making a defensive action – so, a lower number is better.
Kaveh Solhekol feels England were lucky not to lose their match against Denmark, adding that Trent Alexander-Arnold struggled in his midfield role which could see the end of that particular ‘experiment’ from Gareth Southgate
Ukraine rank top with the most intense press, allowing opponents to make fewer than eight passes before making a defensive action. The Three Lions allow opponents more than three times as many passes – 23.1 to be precise.
Only Romania and Albania have been less effective at Euro 2024 so far.
Southgate’s side also rank third-worst for high turnovers – averaging just four per game.
Another metric supports Kane’s concerning comments about England being unsure when and who presses in the final third, three times fewer than table-topping Portugal.
The graphic below reveals England have impressive defensive solidity in their defensive half, but the ineffective press raises red flags in the opposition half – an area where most England players excel for their domestic clubs
Bukayo Saka has been typically hugging the touchline down his favoured right channel and has also posed the greatest threat, while Phil Foden has been roaming into his more dangerous central areas, resulting in a lopsided attack, which could contribute to pressing problems.
England sitting deep: What does the data say?
The graphic below summarises it perfectly: almost all outfield players averaged in their defensive third while they held their early, one-goal advantage for 16 minutes.
The graphic below elaborates on how England retreated after scoring, revealing the swing of final-third passes during the game – with the Danes hitting a match-high level of dominance before their 34th-minute leveller.
Against Serbia, Southgate’s side started the game wholly dominant, but that control ebbed incrementally after Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock, with the Serbs enjoying the lion’s share of attacking threat after the break.
Additionally, England are playing deeper than at previous tournaments, with four outfield players averaging in their own half at the World Cup in 2022 – rising to six at Euro 2024. The forwards – especially Harry Kane and Phil Foden – are also playing far deeper.
The general message emanating from the England camp is to stay calm, but the comments made by Kane and Southgate are concerning.
The majority of England’s squad players are accustomed to high-press styles at their domestic clubs, so harnessing those qualities and finding an effective balance across midfield and attack appears to be critical if England want to progress… at all.
VOTE: Who should Southgate select against Slovenia?
Gareth Southgate has plenty of problems. So what are the solutions?
Harry Kane has admitted that England are not sure how to press when opponents start dropping deeper after two lacklustre showings at Euro 2024.
One of the many criticisms of England is playing too deep, especially out of possession, and therefore being unable to play out from the back.
It is a tactic rarely seen under Southgate in group stage games, but has been a key feature of both the win against Serbia and Thursday’s draw against Denmark.
When asked about it after the game, Kane told BBC Sport: “It’s something we’ve got to try to get better at, not just when we score.
“We’re starting games well, but when the opponents are dropping a few players deeper we’re not quite sure how to get the pressure on and who’s supposed to be going.
“In the second half we tried to change it with me and Jude [Bellingham] playing in front of their two midfielders and trying to get up – but it was difficult.
“Credit to Denmark, they’re a good side and got to the semi-finals in the last Euros. Overall, we’ve got to look back and see where we can improve.”
Kaveh Solhekol feels England were lucky not to lose their match against Denmark, adding that Trent Alexander-Arnold struggled in his midfield role which could see the end of that particular ‘experiment’ from Gareth Southgate
Kane went on to acknowledge that England are also shaky in possession at times too, adding: “We’re struggling with and without the ball.
“We’ll have to go away and look at it back, but the pressure hasn’t been quite right in both games, and we haven’t been good enough with the ball top to bottom, that’s me all the way back to [Jordan] Pickford.
“We’re dropping below our level in terms of retaining the ball and playing under pressure.
“We know we can improve. There’ll be a lot of noise, a bit of disappointment back home, but we experienced this when we drew to Scotland in the last Euros. The sign of a good team is to find results when you’re not playing your best.”
Southgate: It wasn’t what we hoped for
Reacting to England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark, Gareth Southgate said he and his players have to accept criticism from the fans for underperforming, and admitted that he can understand their frustration
For Southgate’s part, he understood why fans would be frustrated with performances in the opening two games, and added that his team must find another level.
He told BBC Sport: “Clearly it wasn’t what we would’ve hoped. We’re not using the ball well enough and have to accept if you do that you’re going to suffer at times as we have tonight. We know there’s another level we’re going to have to find.
“We’ve played teams who are quite fluid in back threes, it’s not easy to get pressure on them, but we’ve definitely got to do it better than we have in these two matches.
“That’s been part of the problem, but not keeping the ball has also been a big part of the problem.”
“There’s a huge amount of work, that’s evident from the performances we’ve given. We have to stay tight, we understand people will be disappointed with the performances – and rightly so. We’ve got to make them better.”
Analysis: Why are England dropping so deep?
Image: Harry Kane was replaced by Ollie Watkins in the second half against Denmark
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
The result was different but there were obvious parallels with the Serbia game. Once again, a bright start was rewarded with an early goal. Once again, it was followed by the team ceding the initiative and sinking deeper and deeper into their own half.
This tendency to invite pressure is not new. It has been a curious feature of Gareth Southgate’s tenure. But mostly it has occurred in knockout games against the big nations. Not in group-stage fixtures against sides sitting outside the top 20 in the FIFA rankings.
It is baffling that a group of players as good as this, a group regarded as favourites to win the tournament, can end up playing like an underdog in games such as these but that is the reality of what they served up, first against Serbia and now against Denmark.
Image: Denmark’s Morten Hjulmand scored a superb equaliser
Of course, that is not to say these are easy fixtures. Tournament football can be unforgiving. But the Denmark game was just the latest in which England have invited problems by inviting pressure. It led to Denmark’s leveller and it could have been worse.
The statistics were alarming. Denmark, in addition to outshooting England, made slightly more passes and had slightly more of the ball. But consider, too, where they had it compared to England. Denmark had 22 touches in the opposition box to England’s 11. They made 142 passes in the final third to England’s 97.
It is not as though England lack the personnel to play higher up the pitch. In Kyle Walker and the excellent Marc Guehi, they have quick defenders able to sweep up behind a high line. In midfield and attack, they have players drilled to play in exactly that way for their clubs.
Why, then, does the same issue keep resurfacing? A degree of pragmatism is understandable at a tournament. But England are causing themselves unnecessary problems.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane struggled in England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark, but Marc Guehi once again stood out as the Three Lions’ best player.
Kane’s opener was cancelled out by a superb strike from Morten Hjulmand, but the performance from Gareth Southgate’s side once again asked more questions than it answered.
Here, Sky Sports rates the England players from their match in Frankfurt and you too can rate all of the players below…
Jordan Pickford – 7
Had a nervous few minutes around the half an hour, but also made some good saves throughout. Could do little for Hjulmand’s equaliser.
Kyle Walker – 6
Image: Kyle Walker played a key role in England’s goal
Brilliant play to nip in behind Rasmus Kristensen for England’s opener, but had other nervous moments when England struggled across the board.
John Stones – 6
Did well defensively, but as with many of his team-mates, looked lost in possession at times. Not his best, not his worst.
Marc Guehi – 8
Image: Marc Guehi was England’s standout player in Frankfurt
Another impressive showing at centre back. His best moment came late in the game as he recovered from an error to block a Denmark shot. Looks every inch the England international.
Kieran Tripper – 6
Did well at left-back, all things considered but like much of the England team, did not have many clips for the highlights reel.
Declan Rice – 5
Image: Declan Rice was unable to influence the game
Had a few bright moments, including a close second-half shot. But was too deep when England were out of possession, and did not have his usual influence over the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 5
Had a few good moments defensively, but struggled in midfield. Too deep out of possession, lacking energy and too many misplaced passes – although certainly not the only one guilty of it. Hard to see how he continues in the same role going forward and replaced in the 54th minute.
Jude Bellingham – 5
Image: Jude Bellingham could not follow up his fine performance against Serbia
Could not follow up his impressive performance against Serbia and was largely anonymous. First real contribution came close to the hour, but made a sublime pass for an Ollie Watkins effort in the 71st minute.
Bukayo Saka – 7
Great positioning for England first goal and unlike his teammates, tried his hardest when he had the ball to create chances. Along with Foden, looked more assured in the second half once Conor Gallagher came on in midfield. Substituted in the 70th minute.
Harry Kane – 5
Image: Harry Kane scored in the first half, but was replaced after the break
Did little other than score the opening goal, but it was a good finish. Questions have to be asked as to his positioning and misplaced pass for Denmark’s equaliser, as well as his fitness. Replaced by Watkins in the 70th minute
Phil Foden – 7
Looked like a man with a point to prove. Had four shots and with more licence to roam, was England’s best attacking player. Rifled a shot onto the post in the second half, before being substituted for Bowen.
Substitutes
Conor Gallagher (for Alexander-Arnold) – 7
Brilliant clearance just before the hour ahead of Christian Eriksen and once again shored up England’s midfield.
Jarrod Bowen (for Foden) – 6
Took his knocks from Denmark after coming on, and executed himself well. No real inflential moments.
Eberechi Eze (for Saka) – 5
Almost got caught out soon after his introduction as Eriksen collected a pass, but was helped out by his team-mates. A tournament debut for the Crystal Palace winger.
Ollie Watkins (for Kane) – 7
Image: Ollie Watkins made his international tournament debut, replacing Harry Kane
Within minutes of coming on, had run in behind the Denmark defence to force a save from Kasper Schmeichel. An impressive cameo from the Aston Villa striker.
Declan Rice told me he felt England’s opening win over Serbia was the archetypal “game of two halves”. He was right.
England’s total dominance in the first half contrasted with their disjointed and lacklustre second half. And so, understandably, there are a host of positives and negatives that Gareth Southgate will be reflecting on in the coming days.
The key issue now for the England manager is addressing the negatives in time for the second Group C game against Denmark on Thursday.
Image: Jude Bellingham celebrates after heading England in front against Serbia in their Group C opener
The positives: Brilliant Bellingham and a clean sheet
Firstly, England won their opening game of the Euros, as they have done in each of the three other major tournaments in which Southgate has been in charge.
That should not be overlooked, or taken for granted. In fact, Southgate’s record bucks the trend of history: the win in Gelsenkirchen was only the second time in nine attempts England have won their first match at a Euros.
That gives the team a massive boost, it gives momentum and now – with the expanded tournament – it makes it almost impossible for England to fail to qualify for the knockout stages. One more point from two more games would almost certainly do it.
Image: Bellingham’s 13th-minute goal was the difference for Gareth Southgate’s side
Secondly, Jude Bellingham. Jude Bellingham did what Jude Bellingham does – grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and demanded he be the lead actor in the spectacle.
Much has been said of his influence, and his importance, already. We shall devote no more column inches here to England’s best and most important player – except to say that Southgate will hope he continues in the vein in which he started.
Thirdly, England kept a clean sheet. Something they’d only done twice in their previous seven internationals. And in the absence of Harry Maguire, and with Luke Shaw still injured, there were real concerns about the defence.
There still are, for me, but England’s back-line did manage to ultimately repel the formidable front two of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic. Albeit with some good fortune at times, and with thanks to a couple of excellent saves from Jordan Pickford.
Image: Marc Guehi impressed alongside John Stones in defence for England
The way that Serbia’s front pairing was marshalled by Marc Guehi – playing his first game at a major tournament – was the fourth huge plus.
The Crystal Palace man started the game with 41 straight passes completed, and ended the game with a 96 per cent completion rate. Wow. Euros debuts don’t get much better than that. He looked composed and confident. Exactly what Southgate ordered.
Fifthly, there were no new injury concerns. Kieran Trippier told me after the game that his problem in the game was cramp-related, but he said he was pleased to feel it because he needed the game time.
That leads me to my sixth positive – there were vital minutes for many England players who have come into this tournament desperately undercooked.
Trippier, Harry Kane, John Stones – all got the full 90 minutes. Bukayo Saka got 75. That can only help their sharpness for the matches to come.
But that is where the positives end, and this is where the negatives start kicking in…
The negatives: Struggling Kane and Foden mystery
Rob Dorsett gives greater insight into Harry Kane’s recovery from his back injury and what it could mean for England at the Euros
Firstly, captain Kane looks miles away from full fitness, hard as he might be trying in games, and on the training pitch. At the moment, it feels like more competitive minutes might not be enough to get England’s talisman fully firing.
Forty-nine goals in 52 games this season is an extraordinary record. But the final three matches of the domestic season – which he missed because of a back injury – seem just as significant as the previous 52.
At the Arena AufSchalke, Kane touched the ball just once, before we got into injury time at the end of the first half. It is true that, but for a brilliant save by Predrag Rajkovic in the second half, he would have opened his Euro account with a towering header. But that effort aside, he has rarely – if ever – been so anonymous.
Likewise Phil Foden – negative number two. The Premier League player of the season, who acts as a conductor to the orchestra of football that is Manchester City, can’t seem to get a tune out of his England team-mates.
Sure, he isn’t playing in his favourite position of number 10. He won’t, so long as Bellingham remains in this form. But even when he has played there for England recently, as he did in the warm-up games, he has struggled.
More often, he is stuck out on the left wing, with Southgate encouraging him to drift in, find space, and influence the game. He wasn’t able to do that at all against Serbia. And how you solve a problem like Phil Foden is becoming a real pain in the England manager’s neck.
Thirdly, for a squad that I feel is the envy of every other nation at this tournament for attacking talent, there was a worrying lack of creativity against Serbia. England had only five shots on goal in the whole 90 minutes. Serbia managed six.
Collectively, their 11 efforts were the lowest on record in a Euros match since the format began in 1980; the worst of 322 other matches.
But I would argue that problem was caused by England’s fourth negative. England couldn’t allow their creative players to thrive, because they didn’t have control of midfield, in the second half.
Gary Neville questions the balance in the England midfield following the 1-0 win over Serbia and whether Trent Alexander-Arnold could be the man to play alongside Declan Rice
How Trent Alexander-Arnold is used in the team is key. Southgate says he has spent the last 12 months teaching him the art of the central defensive midfielder – a position unnatural to him when he plays for Liverpool.
His array of passing was there for all to see early in the game, but as England faded, Alexander-Arnold was more exposed.
He does not innately understand positionally where he needs to be when England are out of possession. Should he really be learning his trade in a European Championship?
Only when Conor Gallagher came on did England’s midfield look more secure, and their pressing game began to bear fruit. Before then, it was all too common to see Bellingham’s arms raised in frustration, as he pressed the ball, only to find none of his team-mates doing the same.
Gallagher to start? The changes Southgate might consider
Southgate doesn’t have much time to address these issues before Thursday’s meeting with Denmark in Frankfurt. In fact, just two full training sessions – that is how quickly these Euros games come along.
I’ve hinted at some of the changes he might be thinking about already: Gallagher into the middle of midfield in place of Alexander-Arnold. Kane to be replaced earlier in the second half, to give Ollie Watkins or Ivan Toney a first run at a major tournament.
In truth, while Kane will almost certainly start the match, I doubt on current fitness he can complete two lots of 90 minutes in the space of four days.
Paul Merson admits he was ‘bored’ by large parts of England’s performance in their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia
The other interesting conundrum for Southgate is his wide attacking options, and whether he might dare to drop Foden. It would be a brave and controversial call. But with the goal-scoring prowess, and goal-creating inventiveness of both Cole Palmer and Ebere Eze chomping at the bit, it may be the most pragmatic decision right now.
The good news about Luke Shaw’s progress on the training pitch and in the treatment room might also force Southgate’s hand in making another tweak.
There is absolutely no criticism of Kieran Trippier if we suggest that the England boss would prefer to see Shaw line up at left-back.
Trippier has been outstanding for his country for so long, his versatility admirable. But England are too often, too narrow. That is why Southgate has tended to play the left-footed Foden on the left wing rather than on the right wing, where he has consistently played for City this season.
Michael Dawson discusses how England fans need to remain positive despite an underwhelming performance in their opening Euro 2024 match against Serbia
England lack natural width – with each of Foden, Saka, Palmer and Eze preferring to cut inside, off the flank. Shaw is a left-footed left-back, which not only helps when he is attacked on the outside by an opposing winger, but it also helps England progress the ball up the left flank.
He may well, in part, be a solution to Foden’s problems too, if he can offer more natural support while playing higher up the pitch.
There is no panic for Southgate or England. They – like all of the other big guns in this tournament – have made a winning start. But the Three Lions are far from their roaring best right now.
In truth, the show they are putting on is a bit flat. It has been panned by many of the critics. They need some clever guidance from their circus master if they are to be considered realistic trophy contenders.
