Harry Kane named England's World Cup captain

LONDON: Tottenham striker Harry Kane will be England's captain at the World Cup in Russia, the Football Association said on Tuesday (May 22)

Manager Gareth Southgate named the 24-year-old as his skipper for the tournament during a meeting with the squad on Monday, the FA said in a statement on Tuesday.

"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."

Kane has netted 45 goals in 52 appearances for Spurs and England in 2017/18, missing out on a third consecutive Premier League Golden Boot title to Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

His goals fired Spurs to third place in the Premier League, meaning they qualified for the Champions League for the third season in a row.

The retired Wayne Rooney, the dropped Joe Hart and Gary Cahill, who is heading to Russia after a last-minute reprieve, have also captained England under Southgate.

"Of course, Harry will need the support of the other good leaders that we have got around him," said Southgate.