England captain Harry Kane believes he can score every time he sets foot on the pitch in Russia after netting…
England captain Harry Kane celebrates with the match ball after full time (Photo: AFP)
England captain Harry Kane believes he can score every time he sets foot on the pitch in Russia after netting five goals in his first two World Cup appearances.
Kane leads the race for the Golden Boot but was kept in reserve by Gareth Southgate for a 1-0 defeat to Belgium that meant the Three Lions finished second in Group G, to keep him fresh for England’s last-16 clash with Colombia on Tuesday.
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However, Kane is sure he will pick up where he left off in Moscow after scoring a hat-trick against Panama in his last outing.
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“Maybe if I’d played against Belgium and didn’t score, I’d be thinking, ‘I didn’t score in the last game’. But I’m coming off the back of a hat-trick and I’m ready to go in a very important game for us against Colombia,” Kane told Britain’s Sunday newspapers.
“At the moment I think I can score every time we play. Especially when balls are just dropping in for you and things are going for you. You can’t wait to get out there.” Kane dismissed suggestions he had put pressure on Southgate to play against Belgium to further his chances of winning the Golden Boot.
The Tottenham striker’s odds of winning the prize for the World Cup’s top goalscorer were slashed when Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were eliminated by Uruguay on Saturday, leaving the world player of the year one short of Kane’s tally.
But Kane insists it is lifting the World Cup rather than individual honours than remains his priority.
“The Golden Boot would be great but I’m still there — and if we’re in the tournament longer it gives me a greater opportunity,” he added.
“My target isn’t the Golden Boot. The target is to win the tournament. That’s always been the target. If the Golden Boot comes along with that then perfect, but the target is to help the team.
“If my goals help the team, brilliant. If not I’ll be running round, working hard, trying to get assists. And that’s all I can do.”
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