Harry Kane and Declan Rice proved yet again that club rivalries like the one between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are put to one side when it comes to England.
Spurs star Kane and Hammers her Rice were both on the scoresheet as England beat Hungary 4-0 in a hostile environment in Budapest.
The pair are used to getting hostile receptions when playing in London derbies between the likes of West Ham and Tottenham.
Not much love lost between West Ham and Spurs but that matters little on international duty
But what Rice, Kane and their England teammates faced in Hungary was vile racist abuse from the dark ages rather than the intense tribalism of club football.
Rice once again showed the kind of form that has made him one of the best midfielders in Europe with West Ham as he put in a man of the match display and capped it off with a goal.
Kane is staying at Tottenham after his summer long transfer saga. And he showed signs he is slowly getting back to something like his best with another goal.
There is not much love lost between West Ham and Tottenham.
‘What a goal’ – Spurs star Kane hijacks Rice interview
But under Gareth Southgate club cliques and rivalries while on international duty with the Three Lions are a thing of the past.
And that was highlighted when Spurs’s England captain hijacked Rice’s post match interview.
The 22-year-old West Ham midfielder had fired home England’s fourth from outside the box. But it was helped on its way by some questionable goalkeeping from the Hungary stopper.
Tottenham striker Kane suddenly appears while West Ham enforcer Rice is being interviewed as he walks around the pitch after the match and shouts “What a goal”.
‘Wait for Kane’s cameo’ – An unlikely bond between a Hammer and a Lilywhite
The pair then burst into laughter as Rice reveals all his teammates have been ribbing him that it was actually an own goal.
“A word from Declan Rice after tonight’s win! Wait for Harry Kane’s cameo…” England’s media team posted on Twitter alongside a laughing emoji.
There is a huge mutual respect between the West Ham and Tottenham men.
During the Euros Rice hailed Kane a ‘true leader’ who he looks up to (Sky Sports).
And who can forget the banter exchanged during the tournament when Kane inadvertently got Rice in a chokehold making for one of the funniest goal celebrations of the year (The Mirror).
Kane also showed his leadership during the win over Hungary when he pulled the Hammers star into the England huddle being showered with cups and missiles while celebrating Raheem Sterling’s opener.
In other news, ‘UEFA will fine him’ West Ham star Rice drinks the boos with brilliant England celebration.
And David Moyes has surely found game-changing solution to major West Ham problem.
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