Tottenham star Harry Kane is to captain England during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but he won’t be the only leader the Three Lions have on the pitch.
Many questioned this decision as Kane does not captain Spurs at a club level, with the position being held by Hugo Lloris. Furthermore, many would have felt that the role should have either gone to Gary Cahill or Jordan Henderson, who captain Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively.
In Kane’s defence, he has managed to establish himself as one of England’s most feared players in recent years and it can also be argued that he will carry the hopes of the nation as they look to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
Since Southgate’s appointment as England manager following the sacking of Sam Allardyce, he initially chose not to appoint a permanent captain and instead rotated the duty among different players within his squad. By selecting Kane to captain the Three Lions at the World Cup, the 24-year-old will become the youngest ever England skipper at the tournament.
There will also be many leaders in the England team, with Cahill, Henderson and even Ashley Young occupying such positions as veterans within the side. Henderson recently pointed out that Southgate wants many influential players within the team as England prepare for the tournament in Russia. Cahill added that he is prepared to help Kane with the leadership duties, telling the Evening Standard:
“It’s important the experienced members of the squad help him so he can concentrate on finding the net.
“The message has been clear from the manager that he wants a number of leaders – that is why he passed the armband on to a few players before the tournament. He wanted that group of leaders to help and share the workload. I’m there to help. I’m not there to preach to anyone, but I have experience of playing in big games.
“If people want to speak to me and likewise me with other people, the group is very tight in that way and everyone is approachable for any type of advice in good and bad moments. Everyone prepares in their own way. Some people want that, some people don’t. We’ll be ready fitness wise for sure, it’s just about being ready in the mind in a positive way.”
