Keith Hackett

Mon 13 June 2022 11:30, UK

Tottenham striker Harry Kane was lucky to win a penalty when England drew 1-1 with Germany in the Nations League last week (7 June), according to Keith Hackett.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee admitted his view may be “controversial” but insisted VAR should not have intervened on Nico Schlotterbeck’s challenge.

As shown on the highlights on Channel 4’s YouTube channel, the two players came together in the Germany box with just over five minutes left.

The referee allowed the game to continue before being told to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

He then awarded the penalty that Harry Kane converted to score his 50th England goal and earn them a point.

“I’m clear on this, my initial thought was, like many people, that Harry Kane is offside but he wasn’t,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.

“I checked it and I’m happy they got the call right on the offside. I think Harry Kane was lucky to get a penalty.

“I know it was a subjective call but we’re going to this fallback position. I honestly don’t think that’s a foul, I really don’t.

“We’ve got VAR telling the referee to go to the screen. When you’ve got a referee going to the screen I don’t think he’s got the time to analyse this through the many replays that we can do.

“Therefore he thinks ‘My mate says it’s a penalty kick therefore I’m going for it’. I don’t think that was a clear and obvious error and the VAR shouldn’t have come in.

“I know that’s going to be controversial because it will upset some England fans, which I am one, but I’m getting at the truth and I don’t think that was a penalty.”

In other news, Kieran Maguire has revealed Tottenham are ‘running scared’ as a covert reason for a new pact is explained.