Kane says England will walk off if players face racist abuse in Belgrade

Harry Kane said England's players will walk off the pitch if they are subjected to racist abuse in Belgrade, declaring the squad are prepared to act and will follow UEFA protocols if necessary.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday night's World Cup qualifier at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, the England captain said the team had been briefed on the steps to take and would not tolerate racist behaviour. "Yes, we had a similar situation in Bulgaria. UEFA have the protocols in place for us to follow. We know the steps, we know the situation," Kane said, while adding he hoped it would not be needed.

The Rajko Mitić Stadium will host the qualifier at reduced capacity after Serbian supporters were involved in racist behaviour during a June fixture against Andorra, a sanction that followed the earlier incidents. Kane said England's focus remained on Serbia as a team and on the football, but that the squad were "clear in what we want to do" if abuse occurred.

Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich, said the team would take "everything in our stride" and respond to any unacceptable conduct by following the established procedures. "Let's just see what happens tomorrow night. We're more focused on Serbia as a team and how we can hurt them," he added.

The England captain also responded to criticism from former striker Michael Owen, who earlier questioned Kane's decision to move to Germany when he was close to becoming the Premier League's record goalscorer. Kane said he had heard Owen's comments and respected him as a former England and Premier League player, but defended his own choices.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I've spent a bit of time with him but don't know him well. Obviously, he is a Premier League great and an England great as well, so I'll respect him as a person," Kane said. "Ultimately, as he will know, everyone's career is different — everyone's decisions and motivations are different. I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy, but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible, and I'm really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarter-final. I feel I'm improving as a player, I'm pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring. It's hard not to hear things these days, but the decisions are best for me and I'm really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now."

Kane's comments come amid heightened attention on fan behaviour at international fixtures and the mechanisms governing responses to discriminatory incidents. UEFA has a multistep protocol for dealing with racist abuse at matches, which can include stadium announcements, temporary halts, and ultimately abandonment and sanctions if abuse continues. England's squad said it had been briefed on those steps ahead of the trip to Belgrade.

The match is one of England's World Cup qualifiers as they continue preparations for the tournament cycle. Team and competition officials did not immediately provide further comment beyond the measures previously announced in relation to stadium restrictions and disciplinary frameworks.