Gareth Southgate confirms England WILL take the knee before World Cup opener vs Iran after chat with senior stars
GARETH SOUTHGATE has confirmed England WILL take the knee before Monday’s World Cup opener against Iran.
Boss Southgate and skipper Harry Kane endorsed the decision after discussions with the squad.
Gareth Southgate revealed his England players want to take the kneeEPA
PACaptain Harry Kane is also prepared to wear the OneLove armband[/caption]
The Three Lions dropped the gesture after two years in recent Nations League clashes.
But players want to show their support for Black Lives Matter on the biggest stage, following criticism of Qatar‘s human rights record.
Kane also plans to defy Fifa’s kit regulations by wearing a One Love armband promoting inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights throughout the tournament.
The Tottenham striker could be fined or even given a yellow card if he does display the heart-shaped rainbow emblem.
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Southgate said: “We have discussed taking the knee. We feel we should.
“It’s what we stand for as a team and have done for a long period of time.
“We understand in the Premier League, teams decided to only do it for the big games, the big occasions. We feel this is the biggest.
“We think it’s a strong statement that will go around the world to young people in particular to show inclusivity is important.”
Southgate and Kane are also standing by the 2018 Golden Boot winner’s desire to display a OneLove armband.
The former Middlesbrough manager said: “A number or European countries have spoken and we made our position clear, and hopefully everything will be resolved before the game.”
Kane himself explained: “I think we made clear as a team, as a staff and organisation that we want to wear the armband.
“I know the FA [Football Association] is talking to Fifa at the moment and I’m sure by game time they’ll have their decision, but we made clear we want to wear it.”
