Harry Kane will march into England HQ next week haunted by an inescapable sense of what might have been.
The 25-man squad Gareth Southgate has selected to face Malta and North Macedonia for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers will be missing at least five players when they convene at St George’s Park.
Manchester City’s John Stones, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Kalvin Phillips have been given permission to join up later, with the Champions League final their priority.
Kane’s mind may wander back to the summer of 2021, when it looked like he would be joining Manchester City.