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Curfew cuts concert short
England captain Harry Kane and defender Dan Burn left a US country music concert early to avoid breaching Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup curfew after England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening match.
“We missed the last three songs because we had to be back for curfew”
Burn said he was “the only person suited and booted with cowboy hat, jeans, the lot” when he attended Ella Langley’s show in Independence, Missouri with Kane and training goalkeeper Jason Steele.
The BBC reported the players were given a day off by Tuchel on Friday, and Kane and Burn watched Langley but missed the last three songs because they had to be back for curfew.
Kane’s country-music outing followed England’s time in Kansas City, where Burn said they had a “friends and family day” and his wife flew over from Dallas.
The BBC also said Kane later posted pictures from the concert on Instagram, including an image of him stood next to Langley holding an England shirt.
Country playlist and cowboy look
Burn told reporters that he bought a cowboy hat and boots before attending the Ella Langley concert in Kansas City with Kane on Friday night, describing it as a chance to switch off from football.
He said, “I like country music so I had a cowboy hat on and cowboy boots, luckily there’s no photos kicking about,” and added, “I went yesterday and kitted out. I thought if you're going to do it, do it properly.”
The Belfast Telegraph reported Burn said Kane was “firing up England’s World Cup bid with a country music playlist,” and listed Morgan Wallen, Dylan Gossett, Zach Bryan, Luke Bryan, The Band Perry, Wyatt Flores, Kane Brown and Luke Combs as part of his “captain’s pick.”
Burn also said England’s attention returned to football as they resumed training ahead of Tuesday’s match with Ghana in Boston, with assistant coach Anthony Barry continuing the mandatory half-time interview.
The BBC noted Langley’s hit “Choosin' Texas” reached number 12 in the UK, and Burn said the squad had a record player in the hotel for Kane’s country-music selection.
Balance, discipline, and focus
Burn said England made relaxation a priority between matches and training sessions ahead of Tuesday’s Group L clash with Ghana, while stressing the concert was not a late night because the group left early to make curfew.
“I wouldn't call it a 'night out,'”
He told reporters, “I wouldn't call it a 'night out,'” and said the squad’s time in Kansas City struck a balance between training focus and downtime.
Burn also pointed to the defensive questions raised in the first half against Croatia, saying, “Nobody wants to concede goals,” and adding that the first goal involved reacting after losing possession in an area where they “wouldn't want to.”
In the Belfast Telegraph, Burn described assistant coach Anthony Barry’s half-time dissection of the limp first-half display against Croatia, saying “You really wanted to make whatever he was doing work because of the energy he put into it.”
The BBC said Kane scored twice in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia, and it framed the curfew-driven departure as part of how the squad managed tournament discipline around entertainment.
