Scholes says being dropped signals “the beginning of the end” for Harry Kane

Paul Scholes has claimed fans could be witnessing 'the beginning of the end' for Harry Kane after the striker was dropped for England.

Kane, 31, has been criticized for his performances for the Three Lions this year, which recently led to him being left on the bench for the match against Greece.

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was chosen over the England captain and many fans felt the national team posed a greater threat with the 28-year-old leader.

Although Kane recently dismissed the idea that the 2026 World Cup will be his last major tournament with England, Man United legend Scholes thinks differently.

Speaking on the latest episode of Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes said: 'It felt like the end of Harry Kane [during the international break] – the beginning of the end. He seemed out of place on the team.

'As you get older, you have the feeling that everything around you is moving a little faster and it seemed a bit like that. But I don't know how to replace it.'

Gary Neville then intervened and said: 'If you think back to the summer and the Euros, to be honest he was struggling then too, wasn't he?'

Roy Keane then countered when he said: 'He's only 31! We talk about him like he's 35 or 36.

Scholes replied: 'He just looks like that, doesn't he?'. Neville replied: 'Alan Shearer was a bit like that towards the end, wasn't he?'

Scholes then said: 'And he retired from England at the age of 31!'.

Although Kane was left out for the match against Greece, he was restored to England's front line for their 5–0 win over Ireland.

During the Nations League match, the Three Lions skipper delivered a stunning ball to Jude Bellingham, which in turn earned England a penalty at Wembley.

However, Keane suggested it is still not enough to keep his place. “You can't be on the team just once, no matter how good it was,” he claimed on the podcast.

Kane has faced pressure from the likes of Watkins and Dominic Solanke, both of whom had impressive campaigns last season.

Nevertheless, Kane recently claimed he still has many international days ahead of him and dismissed the idea that the upcoming World Cup would be his last chance to win anything with the national team.

'I don't think so [it will be my last chance]' he told Sky Sports. 'When you're thirty, you sometimes have the impression that you're coming to an end.

“But for me personally, I'm performing at the highest level I've ever played and I'm feeling as good as I've ever felt, so it's just about taking in the moment.

'I don't like to look too far ahead, I have never done that in my career. The World Cup will be exciting, it will be an incredible event in America and ultimately it is about (trying to) win it.

'As always, you look at where you are and what you need to improve and that will be no different in a few years.'

Kane remains one of the first names on the team sheet as his goalscoring performances continue to rank among the best on the continent.

The Bayern Munich star took home the European Golden Boot last season for his incredible debut season in Bavaria.

And he has started this season in similar fashion, with 17 goals and nine assists in 16 games in all competitions.

He will be happy to see his former Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel in the England dugout during the next international break in March.

Paul Scholes was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet