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England name Tottenham star Harry Kane as captain ahead of World Cup

Harry Kane will lead England as captain at the World Cup.
Harry Kane will lead England as captain at the World Cup.

Harry Kane will captain England at the 2018 World Cup, manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed.

The Tottenham striker, 24, will lead the Three Lions from the front in Russia as they take on Tunisia, Panama and Belgium.

Since Wayne Rooney retired from international duty, a variety of players have taken up the armband on a temporary basis including Jordan Henderson, Kane, Eric Dier, Gary Cahill and Joe Hart.

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Henderson was seen as serious competition to the captaincy for Kane, but former Middlesbrough defender Southgate has opted for prolific Premier League forward as his main man.

“Harry has some outstanding personal qualities,” Southgate said. “He is a meticulous professional and one of the most important things for a captain is that they set the standard every day.

“He has belief and high standards and it is a great message for the team to have a captain who has shown that it is possible to be one of the best in the world over a consistent period of time and that has been his drive.

“My feeling is that over the last 18 months in the camps that he’s been with us he has shown that he has got the desire to take that into a team environment and he recognises the importance of bringing others with him.

“Of course, Harry will need the support of the other good leaders that we have got around him. You don’t become a top team by just having a good captain with good values because that has got to spread right throughout the group but I think he is the one who is ready to take that challenge on.”

Kane himself insisted he is ready for the “amazing honour” of leading his country at a World Cup.

“To be leading the lads out is going to be special,” Kane said, adding: “Obviously you always dream of playing for England, growing up. To be the captain is that little bit more. It’s an amazing honour.

“(I’m) so excited, obviously excited for the World Cup. I just can’t wait to be there and experience it. But for me nothing changes – I’m the same person, the same player, and it’s just about the team. We’ve just got to do what we can and go as far as we can.”

England kick off their World Cup campaign against Tunisia next month.