Harry Kane: I’m only receiving this level of public mocking before the World Cup because I’m English

Harry Kane does not believe he would be subject to the same public mocking he has faced recently if he were from another country.

Kane has been on the receiving end of social media jokes recently, culminating in a much-criticised tweet from the FA Cup’s official account last weekend about how quiet he had been in the semi-final defeat to Manchester United.

Speaking for the first time since the twitter controversy, Kane described the tweet as “silly” and questioned whether other countries would publicly undermine their top footballers one month before a World Cup. And he suggested that it pointed to a “weaker mentality” in Britain.

“The FA tweet was a silly tweet, we all know that,” Kane said. “I talked to the gaffer about it and we said: ‘Would other countries do that to their players?’ Probably not.”

Given the public criticism England team-mates Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling have faced, Kane was asked whether it was a part of a trend in this country, and what it meant for national respect for our top players.

“It’s strange, maybe it’s a mentality thing,” Kane said. “It is maybe easier nowadays to banter England players or take the mickey out of the England players. So if we don’t do well in the World Cup, then they can write and say: ‘We told you so.’ But that is maybe a weaker mentality.”

Kane was sure that it would not distract from England’s World Cup preparations, however. “As a team, it is what it is,” he insisted. “We are focusing on what we have got to do. We have got to go with the mindset and belief that we can do it. We try to win everything we go into: the World Cup is no different.”

Kane said that he has moved on now and wants to focus on the end of the season and the build-up to the World Cup. “It is something that has gone, two weeks ago now or whatever, I am over it,” he said. “The gaffer may have said that I am sad, but I am focused. I am a guy that gets over things. If it happened, it happened. I move on and look forward to the next game and that is all I worry about – getting out on the pitch and trying to do my job.”

Ultimately Kane did not want any criticism about his form to distract him from doing his job. “People are going to have their opinions,” he said. “When you are not doing well or the team are not doing well, people are going to look for certain individuals to dig out. It is what it is. It is part of the game. I have always said I try not to get too high or get too low because you never know what is around the corner. I am trying to stay focused on what I need to do and that is to perform on the pitch.”