Euro 2016 Chris Waddle exclusive: Bring back Kane to beat Iceland - he can unlock tight defences

Harry Kane should be given another chance to start up front when England take on Iceland in the last-16 of Euro 2016 on Monday.

Tottenham striker Kane deserved to head into this tournament as England’s lead striker after a fine season of scoring form in the Premier League and I don’t buy into the idea that he should now be sidelined because he was not at his best in his first 150 minutes of football in the competition.

Jamie Vardy is most effective when he is running at defences that are playing a high line, with his place and drive a real handful for any team on the front foot. We saw that time and again with Leicester in the Premier League last season, but that is not the kind of game England will be involved in against Iceland.

For a fourth successive match at Euro 2016, Roy Hodgson’s side are facing up to a battle that will test their patience to the full, with Iceland likely to sit back and play a cautious game. Their route to victory will come if England over-commit going forward or from a set-piece, so the favourites need to bide their time in this match.

That is why I would urge Hodgson to pick Kane to start once again, with the option of having Vardy on the bench to come on and influence the game when legs are tiring or if England are in need of a goal being a great card to have up his sleeve.

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Daniel Sturridge may well start the game as well in a deeper role and he could offer support to Kane, with the option to the Spurs man drifting into wide areas at times as England look to spread the play.

Kane is better leading the line against deep-lying defences and Vardy’s influence in Hodgson’s team may be felt in the latter stages of the competition.

I fully expect England to find a way past Iceland, even if it may not be as comfortable as many are suggesting and that should set up England v France in the quarter-finals. That could be the moment when Vardy is unleashed because the hosts will be pushing forward a lot more and that could play to his strengths.

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What England have in their squad for this competition is options and that is why I feel they have a chance to go a long way, if they get the rub of the green that any team needs at the crucial moments.

I was a part of a couple of England squads that could have done so much better in major tournaments if the stroke of luck you often need to end up as a winner had gone our way and if they are to take on the French in Paris next, it will be a game that could easily tip either way. That is when we will find out whether they are contenders to lift this title or not.

I hear people suggesting England are in the ‘wrong’ half of the draw after finishing second in the group stages, but you need to beat teams like France, Italy, Spain and Germany if you have real ambitions to win Euro 2016.

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So I wouldn’t be too concerned by England’s position in Euro 2016 right now. Hodgson’s side have played okay so far, but they need to go up a couple of levels if they are to go all the way to the final on July 10^th and I believe they are capable of getting there.

This is a very open tournament in my eyes and while I will stick with my prediction that Spain will finish up as the winners, the group stages confirmed that uncertainty hovers over all teams right now.

Once we get into the quarter-final matches and the real contenders stand up, then we will see who deserves to be viewed as the favourites.

England legend Chris Waddle was speaking on behalf of bettingexpert.com. Follow Chris’ Euro 2016 blog at SmartBets, the customisable odds comparison site that gives fans the real-time odds and stats that matter.