Eni Aluko believes Harry Kane is somewhat "playing for himself" at Euro 2024, as she urged the England captain to stay upfield rather than dropping deep.
Kane, who scored in England's 1-1 draw with Denmark, has been starved of opportunities so far, with the Three Lions' attack struggling to spark.
The Bayern Munich forward, who scored 44 goals for the Bundesliga giants across all competitions in 2023-24, has had eight shots at the tournament, accumulating 1.06 expected goals (xG).
And former Lioness Aluko, who is a pundit for ITV Sport, suggested Kane, who has managed just 10 touches in the opposition box in total, is dropping too deep, to the detriment of Gareth Southgate's team.
Speaking to Stats Perform at the Home of Adidas football in Berlin, Aluko said: "I have to preface everything I'm about to say by saying Kane is one of the greatest players we've ever seen for England, greatest goal scorers, but I think this tournament has made me realise that he sort of plays for himself a little bit.
"I don't think this is a new conversation about Kane dropping deep I remember doing the World Cup two years ago and having this same conversation. So at some point, I think Harry has to realise that it's not actually helping the team coming in, dropping deep, trying to play as a midfielder when we've got such talented midfielders who can do that.
"I know as a forward, a big part of that role is discipline. A big part of the position is keeping the pitch high, stretching the pitch so that you allow pockets for other people and trusting that they're going to get it to you.
"So I would just like to see Harry play for the team a little bit more. It sounds crazy because it's Harry Kane but I think at this point in his career he must know that it's actually not the best thing for the team to keep dropping in so I'd like to see a little bit more discipline from him."
Kane has been among the England players to hit out at the criticism the team has received from some of those in the media.
Aluko added: "I think as a pundit I always look at it from a very objective point of view. You can critique something and say these are the stats, these are the numbers, this is what I think without being personal.
"That's quite an easy balance to strike, to be honest. I never go into games going, I'm going to go right in on that player. It doesn't serve me to do that. So I think that we have a responsibility as pundits who've been there.
"Part of the reason why we're on these panels and we're talking about football is because we've been in those positions to understand that it's not easy and it's easier said than done.
"I've seen it gone a bit too far and I like to see the players, to be honest, bite back a little bit. I used to do that as a player a little bit, bite back. But ultimately, the players' right of reply is on the pitch.
"There's no need to try and get soundbites and all that stuff. That's not really our job. Our job is to analyse what's in front of us, critique what's in front of us, use data, stats, to paint a picture for the audience back home to go right. Show people why it's not good rather than sort of get into individuals and get personal."
England face Slovakia in the last 16 on Sunday.
Earps joins PSG after confirming Man Utd departure
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after leaving Manchester United.
Earps' United future had been in doubt for some time as she ran down the final 12 months of her contract last season, having previously been linked with Arsenal and PSG.
On Saturday, the Euro 2022 winner confirmed she was leaving United after five years with the club, having made 125 appearances for them across all competitions.
On Monday, her anticipated move to France was finalised as she penned a two-year deal with Les Parisiennes, who finished as Premiere Ligue runners-up to Lyon last term.
The Lionesses shot-stopper said: "Together, we’re going to give our all to help the club shine and make our fans proud.
"I'm determined to contribute to our future success so that Paris Saint-Germain continues to rank among Europe's top clubs."
Reports have suggested United offered Earps a more lucrative wage than PSG, but her determination to compete for silverware was the primary motivation behind her move.
United finished fifth in the Women's Super League last season, though they did thrash Tottenham 4-0 in the Women's FA Cup final to lift their first major trophy.
'We're lucky to have him', Miami boss Martino says of Alba
Inter Miami are fortunate to have Jordi Alba, so says head coach Gerardo Martino.
Alba scored a stunning volley that ultimately proved the winner just before half-time in Saturday's 2-1 win over Nashville SC. The strike came with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.01.
That victory kept Miami top of the Eastern Conference, with a two-point lead over FC Cincinnati.
Miami face Charlotte in midweek, and with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez still away at the Copa America, Martino is glad to have such an experienced, quality player as Alba at his disposal.
"I celebrated] as should be celebrated because it was a great goal," Martino said.
"I'm not surprised because he is a player with so much quality.
"He [Alba] puts me at ease for what he gives the team and the options he gives us in attack and how well he played defensively.
"Jordi is an internationally recognised player and we're lucky to have him on our team."
Nashville dragged themselves back into the contest in the second half, and Miami ultimately relied on goalkeeper Drake Callendar to make a late save to earn all three points.
Reflecting on his side's display, Martino added: "I believe we had a very good first half, we controlled the whole thing.
"In the second half, we did not control the ball the same way as the first half, especially when Nashville had a line of three, [but] we didn't suffer.
"I think in the end we won the game rather well."
Charlotte lost 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo last time out, snapping a four-game unbeaten streak for Dean Smith's team.
They sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte FC - Patrick Agyemang
Agyemang leads Charlotte's scoring charts with five MLS goals. They have come from 14 shots on target, and 26 attempts overall. He will be one Miami's defence has to look out for.
Inter Miami - Julian Gressel
Gressel provided an assist for Miami's opener against Nashville. It was his 100th goal contribution in MLS.
Since he joined MLS in 2017, Gressel has provided 62 assists, with only Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta (65) setting up more goals.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
While Miami are top of the standings, Charlotte are expected to challenge for a positive result in this one, with Opta's supercomputer ranking the draw threat highly.
Miami have won their last three away games in MLS, though, so the Herons still come into this as slight favourites.
That being said, Miami have lost their last two trips to Charlotte. In fact, last season, these teams split the record evenly over their three meetings in all competitions, with Miami winning one, Charlotte winning another and the other game drawn.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter Miami - 41.6%
Charlotte - 32.9%
Draw - 25.6%
Chelsea complete swoop for teenage Barcelona striker Guiu
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of teenage striker Marc Guiu from Barcelona, having met his €6million (£5.1m) release clause.
Guiu had one year remaining on his contract with the Blaugrana but opted to reject the offer of an extension after breaking into their senior squad last season.
The 18-year-old appeared three times in LaLiga last term, netting on his senior debut against Athletic Bilbao at the age of 17 years and 291 days last October.
Guiu, who has been capped by Spain at under-17 and under-19 level, is expected to fight for a place in Chelsea's first team under new boss Enzo Maresca.
He has signed a five-year contract with an option for the club to extend his stay for a further 12 months.
"It's an immense joy to sign for Chelsea and I struggled to sleep ahead of the journey here because I was so excited," Guiu said. "Ever since I was small, it was my dream to play in the Premier League.
"Now I have the opportunity to come here to Chelsea and I will work my hardest to be successful for the club."
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