Harry Kane has told England to wake up and rise to the challenge at Euro 2024 this summer, with the 30-year-old keen for the Three Lions to avoid a repeat of their 'pretty s**t' World Cup exit 18 months ago.
Gareth Southgate's side head into the European Championships among the favourites to go all the way.
However, England were beaten 1-0 by Iceland on Friday night - with the Three Lions putting in an abject display at Wembley.
It was a reality check for Southgate's men, with the result setting off alarm bells ahead of England's first Euro 2024 match with Serbia on Sunday night.
Harry Kane has called on England to improve as they look to win Euro 2024 this summer
REUTERS
At the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, England crashed out in the quarter-finals to France.
Kane missed a penalty as the Three Lions saw their hopes of glory go up in smoke.
And the Bayern Munich star, who will skipper England this summer, has now warned his team-mates they must improve if they're to finally win a major tournament.
"This could be a nice wake-up call for everyone to realise it is not going to be as easy as people think," he said.
"There is a lot of work to do. Sometimes, you need this wake-up call.
"There are areas we need to improve, especially with our pressure. The group games are going to be very similar to this.
"We are going to have to defend well, especially the longer balls, and with the ball we need to be a bit more patient.
"It is one to look back on."
Addressing England's defeat to Iceland on Friday, he continued: "We fell below our standards without the ball and that is something we have to review and get better with.
"We had spells where we did well and played some really nice football and created some good chances.
"But against these types of teams especially, you have to be more clinical.
"There probably wasn’t enough hunger in the duels, in the second balls and winning those.
"They are a big important part when you are playing these teams, to sustain the pressure and really suffocate them. We didn’t do that well."
And Kane then looked back at the 2022 World Cup, with the former Tottenham star adding: "Pretty s**t wasn't it?
"In football you are going to have ups and downs on the way.
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Harry Kane believes England's defeat to Iceland on Friday night was a 'wake-up call' as Euro 2024 looms
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"Of course, that was a down for me at the moment, but I think over two years, for club and for country, I have put that to bed and I am just excited for another major tournament.
"I have said many times to judge us on the tournament form, on the tournament football.
"Of course, there will be some noise about Friday, but I think there is a lot of optimism from the fans and rightly so.
"Ultimately it is down to us to make sure we get it right on the pitch. We have a lot of fantastic players. Players who have had really, really good seasons. You can’t ignore that.
"Being so close in the last Euros (beaten in final), there is a real hunger to be back. It comes around quick, if I’m honest.
Harry Kane wants England to avoid a repeat of their 'pretty s**t' World Cup exit in 2022 when Euro 2024 kicks off later this week
REUTERS
"We had the World Cup and we are back here again. I feel like we are on the right path.
"But as we all know, it is really difficult to win these tournaments.
"There are a lot of things that you have to do right and prepare right, and you need a bit of luck here and there.
"Every winner does. We have that mindset that we can achieve it.
"We also know there is a lot of hard work from now until the final in July."