At a glance

Some, in their first World Cup, recoil from the hugeness of it all, and fixate on the isolation from home, the ‘‘pressure’’. Kane disclosed last week that he was coming off social media, but not to escape abuse.

He was simply removing a possible distraction. From the moment he arrived, Kane seemed to scan an unfamiliar scene for ways of increasing his chance of success – all the while with an uncomplicated, cheery outlook.

As soon as he saw that it might go well, Kane grabbed the opportunity, thus transmitting optimism to his team-mates. From the beginning, it was plain that for England to do well in Russia, Harry Kane would need to do well.

He knows, too, the significance of England trying to play positive football and lifting the rock of penalty shoot-out calamities.

Of the win over Colombia, he said: ‘‘It showed the togetherness and character. These are the moments when you really see that. It’s a big night for England.’’

A three-time man of the match (he missed England’s other game, against Belgium), Kane is the first Englishman to score in six consecutive internationals since Tommy Lawton in 1939. Only three Golden Boots have been awarded to players who also won the World Cup: Mario Kempes (Argentina, 1978), Paolo Rossi (Italy, 1982) and Ronaldo (Brazil, 2002).

At the start of the tournament, Kane was given a samovar (tea urn) at England’s Repino base and people joked on social media that he had just collected his first trophy. Mildly amused, Kane mentioned his scoring records as a riposte. Nobody back in England, one imagines, is teasing him now.

As England shed their countless hang-ups, here is a leader by example whose feelings for World Cup football are easily defined. Love at first sight.

There is never a trace of hesitation or doubt. He expects and intends to score. These are infectious qualities – and rare.

Coming up:

❚ Tomorrow: 2am, France v Uruguay; 6am, Brazil v Belgium.

❚ Sunday: 2am: Sweden v England, 6am: Russia v Croatia.