Alan Shearer: England penalty miss will haunt Harry Kane for the rest of his life

According to former striker Alan Shearer, England captain Harry Kane's World Cup quarter-final failure will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Gareth Southgate's side left the tournament in Qatar after the Tottenham striker blasted his second free kick late in the 2-1 loss to France.

Shearer thinks that will live with Kane forever, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's the life of a centre-forward. You put yourself in those positions and it will haunt Harry. for the rest of his life.

"But that's what you have to put up with as a striker - you win some and you lose some.

"You don't tag everyone and some chances mean more than others and it will hurt a lot.

"The biggest game I ever missed was against Sunderland and it still haunts me today.

"He won't sleep well for a long time, that's his personality and I know how much that means to him and the rest of the team.

"He will think he cost England. We see it in a different way - he saved us many times.

"It hurts. It really hurts, but you can imagine how the players feel if it hurts us that much."

Despite the quarter-final disappointment, there was reason to be positive about England's performance in Qatar.

The emergence of 19-year-old Jude Bellingham as a world-class talent at a major tournament was a highlight, but the versatility and options available mean Shearer believes Southgate - under contract for yet two years - has many reasons to continue in the work.

"Some people will find a way to criticize, they always do, but it was just one of those things and I can't find any criticism of the manager," he added.

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"Yes, he should (stay). I have no doubt about that because he was successful in a way.

“I know he didn't present a trophy, but you have to look at the bigger picture; not just this tournament, but others where it has taken us to the finals and semi-finals.

"As for his future, I would say stay because there are a lot of really talented players in this England team and he has managed to make the most of them at different times.

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"I think he would look into that over the next few weeks and hopefully he decides to stay and take us where we want to go and deliver that trophy."

Another former England striker, Gary Lineker, also thinks there are a lot of positives to take from the tournament and what it means for the future.

"Despite the heartache we should be immensely proud of this young team @England. They have talent. They give their all. They have values," he wrote on Twitter.

"They bring honor to their sport and to our country. And in these times of division and discord, they are an example for all. And they will win."

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