Kane can tap into reservoir of fresh hope GARY BACKS HARRY TO FRONT UP

REPORTS GARY LINEKER believes that Harry Kane will have no problem leading from the front, insisting the armband does not matter once the games are under way.

Since the days of Billy Wright and Bobby Moore, the image of an England captain has been a strong, rock-like centre-back.

However, after Kevin Keegan captained his country in the early 1980s as a striker, Lineker, right, also took the role from 1990 until 1992 and was followed four years later by Alan Shearer. Kane has worn the armband already – becoming the only England player to score in his first four games as captain, as Gareth Southgate rotated the honour during qualifiers. Now, after the England manager revealed his choice for the finals, Lineker insists that even from his position at the top of the formation Kane will be just as effective as anybody else in the team. “It’s the same as centreforward as for anywhere,” said Lineker. “It doesn’t make any difference. It doesn’t matter what position you play. There’s a lot of nonsense written about football. The captaincy is actually not very important on the pitch. It’s only important off it.

“You’re basically a middle man between the manager and the players and the media and the players. But on the field of play, beyond tossing up, everyone behaves exactly as they would anyway.”

Kane is less vociferous than some of his predecessors – the Terry Butchers, Tony Adamses and Stuart Pearces of this world.

But Lineker – never one to bawl out his fellow players – insists that other styles are just as successful.

“You’ll have natural leaders who will cajole and others that won’t,” he said. “Harry’s not one of those who will fist pump, as I wasn’t.”

MATTHEW DUNN