Kane will need broad shoulders

Harry Kane has been talking up his chances of coming back to England with a Golden Boot. If England are to have any hope of going deep in this tournament, he’ll have to – or get very close.

Kane is their only world class player. Actually, make that approaching world class.

Forget the fact that his opening goal was his first at a major tournament. Roy Hodgson had him taking corners at Euro 2016, for goodness sake.

Kane is the best all-round number nine in Russia and was clinical when he buried that rebound early in the contest against Tunisia, then again in stoppage time. He would improve every team in the competition. But, as we saw in the minutes before and after the opening goal, when chances (better ones) fall to other England players, the ball hitting the back of the net is anything but a guarantee.

Jesse Lingard’s three misses and Raheem Sterling’s typical back post scuff didn’t cost England in the end on this occasion. But they will when Gareth Southgate’s men come up against a side who limit them to a few sights at goal.

Panama will display Tunisian generosity in the penalty box but it will end there.

Either Southgate finds a way to integrate Jamie Vardy into his starting line-up or Kane is going to have to show the broadest shoulders as well as the sharpest eye for a goal.