Dejan Lovren relishing chance to lock horns with nemesis Harry Kane

Croatian was tormented by England man early last season but recent form suggests a less one-sided battle awaits in Moscow

Dejan Lovren replied in the only way he could in the circumstances. Asked whether he was looking forward to playing against Harry Kane in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final, the Croatia defender said: “He deserves every credit he gets. The last few seasons he has always scored more than 25 goals. He is one of the best strikers in the world but I like to challenge these strikers and to show to everyone that I am one of the best defenders.”

Rewind to 22 October, on an autumnal Sunday afternoon at Wembley, and there are 31 minutes on the clock. Lovren glances across to the technical area and sees that it his number being held up. on Liverpool’s substitutes’ board. Kane has already got away from Lovren twice, running in behind to score Tottenham’s first goal and leaving the defender in his wake again to set up a second. Lovren looked lost and totally disoriented. “Ambling about like a man recently winched up off the anaesthetist’s table,” Barney Ronay wrote in these pages .

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