Kane, Southgate on anti-discrimination campaign: Only so much players can do

England captain Harry Kane and head coach Gareth Southgate have once again backed the ‘OneLove’ anti-discrimination campaign but accepted it will have a limited impact in Qatar.

On Wednesday it was announced England would join forces with nine other European nations in a campaign against discrimination. Originally initiated by the Netherlands, the OneLove campaign aims to promote inclusion, with captains wearing a distinctive armband.

Kane will pull on that armband for the first time in England’s Nations League tie with Italy at the San Siro on Friday night and the intention is for it to be worn in Qatar during the World Cup as well.

Asked about the impact the campaign could realistically have in Qatar, given the country’s human rights record, Kane said: “There is only so much the players can actually do and wearing the armband on the biggest stage in the world will have an impact.

“But we can only do what we can. We have definitely taken a step forward to help some of the issues in Qatar.”