‘We want to make country proud’
Kane and Southgate issue rallying cry as England get ready to head to Russia
Southgate, the England manager, and his captain, Harry Kane, will be aiming to restore national pride when they touch down in Russia for the World Cup today.
England will arrive at their Repino training base, an hour north of St Petersburg, ahead of their World Cup opener against Tunisia on Monday.
They will be joined in Russia by thousands of England fans, who have bought a total of 32,362 tickets for World Cup matches, a figure that is a long way down on past tournaments amid safety fears and political tensions.
England flopped badly at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and were knocked out of the 2016 European Championship by Iceland, and Southgate wants to put smiles back on the faces of the travelling fans and armchair supporters.
“We ask people to pay a lot of money to watch football,” he said. “In the end, we want to entertain where we possibly can.
“We are seeing that this is a team who are enjoying each other’s company, getting on well, are very proud to represent their nation, have some talent, have a real desire and determination to play for England and are determined to play in a style that people are warming to and are enjoying watching.
“I’ve talked before about there being a disconnect between the supporters and the team, and I’ve felt there’s different ways to bridge that. The most important is the way you play, and your performances and your results. Everything else comes on the back of that.
“I think there was a shift in November when we brought in some of the younger players. There was a clear shift in the identity of the team, we went to a back three and people have been warmed by that, not only the young players in this squad, but the young players in the system, the success with the junior teams. The Under-17s’ World Cup win in particular came at a moment where the profile of our young players was really high.
“We are just trying to improve every day we work together. We know we are not the finished article, in fact we’re a long way from that, but I think people see signs of progress and enjoy watching us and the manner in which we try to play.”
With England not expected to win the World Cup, Southgate was asked what would make a successful tournament for his team.
“Our focus has to be on the bits we can control,” he answered. “Constantly trying to improve, playing in a style that we’ve used in the last year or so and that people have warmed to and, of course, if we do all of those things and we play with a smile on our face and we enjoy our football, enjoy being in a tournament, then I think we will get results.
“Ultimately, we know we’ll be judged on results, but we have to focus on the processes. We hope we can send people to work the following day having enjoyed those matches, I know what those tournament experiences can be like and we desperately want to bring that.”
Kane added: “I am proud to be English and I would do anything for my country. Football plays such a big part in that and to make the fans proud and country proud would be an incredible feeling. We feel that we can do that, so all we can do is fight on the pitch and give 120 per cent in every game and wear that badge with pride. I am sure the country will take to that.”
Kane has just signed a new six-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur worth £200,000 a week and is still searching for his first winners’ medal with the club he grew up supporting.
But the 24-year-old admits success with his country would outweigh anything he could achieve with Spurs.
“It is hard to look beyond the World Cup – I don’t think any player would tell you any different,” said Kane. “It is the one competition that everybody dreams of winning. That is No 1, first and foremost. Obviously, I understand you have got the Champions League and Premier League – so many big competitions – and it is every season. But, for me, I don’t think it gets much bigger than the World Cup.
“I would be surprised if the majority of players did not say the World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. I would love to win everything with Tottenham but, for me, the World Cup outweighs them all.”
Following three weeks of preparation in England, Southgate says he and his players want to get down to work in Russia.
“I think we’re all looking forward to getting on with the tournament now, there’s been such a long preparation,” said Southgate. “We’ve had weeks now together with a really good training camp and we’re really pleased with the performances in the two games. We just want to get out to the tournament now, get out to Russia and experience all the feeling of being in a World Cup.
“I’m a very proud Englishman and I’ve said before that to play for my country was my only goal as a kid, so now to be managing and leading my country to a World Cup is extra special.
“I recognise the responsibility that brings but, also, I am enjoying that challenge.”