Kane won’t be weighed down by the armband in World Cup opener
Harry Kane insists his game won’t change as he takes to the field as England captain at a World Cup.
That should be music to the ears of all the Three Lions fans in Russia, and those watching back home on television.
It would mean the Spurs striker is scoring the goals to ensure England have a successful tournament.
Kane isn’t thinking about the responsibility of inspiring his team or carrying the nation’s expectations on his shoulders.
It’s all about reproducing the standards that have made him one of the best strikers in world football, with 105 Premier League goals in the last four seasons.
He doesn’t think of himself as a selfish player. But if Kane finds the net regularly in Russia, Gareth Southgate’s side can prosper.
“My game has always been about putting the team first,” he says.
“Obviously, as a striker, first and foremost you have to have that little bit of selfishness when you are in front of goal.
“But I would always say that if I had a team- mate in a better position, then I would give him the ball.
“If I was one- on- one with the goalkeeper, but my team- mate was next to me with an open goal, then I would pass.
“For me, nothing changes, whether I am captain or not. I make the best decision for the team – and hopefully it’s the right one.
“When you are England’s main striker, you have a responsibility to score the goals.
“As captain, maybe there will be even more expectation on my shoulders, but I think it’ s important to have four, five, six players who can lead.
“It’s not good only having one player who the others look to when things aren’t going right.
“We need a number of players, who in a bad situation will speak up and be honest with each other.
“It can’t just be that all the decisions fall on my shoulders because I am captain.
“I feel exactly the same now as I did before I was captain. I don’t feel any extra pressure because I’m wearing the armband. My game won’t change and my p e r s o n a l i t y c e r t a i n l y w o n’t change.
“I still look to push myself, to push other players and I hope my team-mates can now look at me as someone they can talk to. “But I’m still the same man. “I don’t feel that, just because I am now the captain, I don’t have to maintain the standards I have set.”
This will be Kane’s second taste of a major tournament and every England fan hopes it’s a better one.
The 24- year- old played in all four of England’s games at Euro 2016, but failed to score.
As England suffered that humiliating loss to Iceland, one of the enduring images from a miserable month in France was their striker being on corner duty.
But Kane’s importance to his country has grown in the two years since.
He has scored eight times in the seven games he’s played under Southgate, and has emerged as the team’s natural talisman.
So when the manager wanted a permanent skipper for this World Cup, Kane’s status as the first name on the teamsheet played a big role.
Now the aim is to hit the ground running, both for himself and the team against Tunisia in Volgograd tomorrow night.
Unlike at previous tournaments, there is a very relaxed and confident mood around the England squad.
That would further increase with a morale- boosting win to kick off their campaign. With a Kane goal on top of that, it would represent the perfect start.
“The first game of any tournament is huge,” says the captain.
“If we win it, then it gives us momentum.
“But even if we don’t win it, then we won’t think we’re not going through.
“Tunisia will want to put an upset on the cards, but we won’t underestimate them because we know they’re a good team.
“We have got to be ready. We have got to look to hit the ground running because we know that if we can take three points, we will be in a great position.
“I want to score in every game I play – whether that’s in a friendly or in the World Cup.”