Harry Kane to captain England at 2018 World Cup

Tuesday 22 May 2018
Harry Kane (right) will be England's youngest-ever World Cup captain

Harry Kane will captain England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Gareth Southgate named the Tottenham Hotspur striker as his skipper for the tournament during a meeting with the squad at St. George’s Park on Monday night.

The 24-year-old will now lead his nation into their 15th World Cup.

Southgate said: “Harry has some outstanding personal qualities. 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 added: “It’s an amazing honour. To be leading the lads out is going to be special.

“But for me, nothing changes. I’m the same person, the same player and it’s all about the team and we have to do what we can and go as far as we can.”

Kane, who has 12 goals from 23 appearances, first captained the Three Lions during last summer’s World Cup qualifier in Scotland before going on to wear the armband on a further three occasions.

Prior to bursting on to the senior scene with a goal just 79 seconds into his debut in 2015, the reigning Vauxhall England Player of the Year represented his nation at U17, U19, U20 and U21 level.

Kane and his Three Lions team-mates have two matches before they head to Russia, against Nigeria at Wembley on Saturday 2 June and then Costa Rica in Leeds on Thursday 6 June.

By FA Staff