Harry Kane has strongly condemned Sergio Ramos for his bullish challenge on Mohamed Salah in May’s Champions League final.
Well, he hasn’t – but how much more interesting would that be?
The Tottenham talisman admits he is yet to discuss Liverpool’s disappointing night in Kiev with skipper Jordan Henderson, knowing full well he wouldn’t want to talk about it if he was in the same position.
Ramos was at the centre of a major talking point on the night after he landed awkwardly on Salah following a tussle for the ball, consequently forcing the Egyptian off with a dislocated shoulder after just 30 minutes.
Real Madrid’s captain has since denied having any intentions to harm the forward, recently insisting his conscience is clear.
Kane is now set to come up against Ramos in England’s UEFA Nations League opener with Spain at Wembley on Saturday night.
He told reporters: “I haven’t spoken to Jordan about him or the Champions League final (defeat), I don’t think he would want to talk about that too much, as I wouldn’t,” per TEAMtalk.
“But Ramos is a competitive player. A great, great defender on and off the ball. We played against him last year against Madrid. He’s a tough centre-half. He wasn’t over the top, he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.”
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Ramos and Spain arrive in England looking to shrug off the disappointment of their World Cup Round of 16 elimination at the hands of Russia.
The tables have partially turned for the two nations, with the 2010 world champions set to undergo a makeover from newly-appointed manager Luis Enrique whilst England seek longevity with an increasingly familiar system and lineup.
Rarely have the Three Lions emerged from an international tournament with a trusted setup still in tact and an approach worth polishing in view of realistic success at future competitions.
Saturday will mark the first chance for Kane and Co to begin proving that their progression to the semi-finals in Russia was by no means a fluke.