England manager Roy Hodgson backed Harry Kane to enjoy a long and distinguished international career after the Tottenham Hotspur striker marked his debut with a goal after only 80 seconds.
With Kane having scored 29 goals for Spurs this season, there was huge expectation about his England bow and the 21-year-old duly delivered, rising from the bench to score the fourth goal of a one-sided 4-0 win over Lithuania in Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier at Wembley.
Kane will now hope to start in Tuesday's friendly against Italy in Turin and Hodgson said that he had no qualms about the striker's ability to handle the increased attention that his goal is certain to generate.
"I think he'll put pressure on himself because he's a good professional," Hodgson told his post-match press conference.
"I don't think he's a person who'll buckle under pressure, but he'll have to accept the media spotlight, which is already enormous, will get bigger.
"But he's in good hands with (manager) Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham and us here. We'll make sure we don't built him up to knock him down, but build him up to be a big part of our future.
"He is still a young man, but what could be better than making his debut and scoring a goal? Wayne Rooney did it and never looked back."
Rooney opened the scoring against Lithuania in the sixth minute by heading in after Danny Welbeck's shot was parried by goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis.
It took the Manchester United striker to 47 England goals -- two shy of Bobby Charlton's all-time record.
Man-of-the-match Welbeck made it 2-0 with a header that deflected in off Tadas Kijanskas and Rooney then teed up Raheem Sterling to tap in his first England goal in the 58th minute.
'Europe will be frightened'
Sterling set up Kane's goal in the 73rd minute, wriggling to the byline on the left and lofting in a cross that the Spurs man met with a firm downward header.
Sterling will now return to Liverpool for an injection on a troublesome toe, while Hodgson said that Welbeck was likely to miss the trip to Italy after sustaining a "tweak to the knee" late in the game.
With Daniel Sturridge having already succumbed to a hip problem, it leaves Rooney and Kane as the only fit strikers in the squad, but Hodgson was coy about the latter's chances of starting at Juventus Stadium.
"We'll see. Obviously his chances get bigger all the time we're losing these players," the England manager said.
"There's no Welbeck, possibly, no Daniel Sturridge and no Raheem Sterling, so I haven't got front players coming out of the hat, but we'll wait and see."
Left-back Leighton Baines and midfielder James Milner will also leave the squad, with Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand the only player brought in.
England have now won seven consecutive games for the first time since 2006 and Rooney said that their form will not have gone unnoticed by their continental rivals.
"Since the World Cup, we have been fantastic," the England captain told ITV.
"We've had some great victories, are scoring goals and we have real energy around the team. A lot of teams will be looking at this team around Europe and will be frightened."
England's victory extended their perfect record in Group E and preserved their six-point lead over Slovenia and Switzerland at the halfway point of the qualifying tournament.
AFP
Sun Mar 29 2015
Kane will now hope to start in Tuesday's friendly against Italy in Turin and Hodgson said that he had no qualms about the striker's ability to handle the increased attention that his goal is certain to generate.
AWANI Ringkas: Mangsa di PPS terus meningkat
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Nilai pasaran bintang JDT, Arif Aiman bakal melonjak
Dua gol jaringan Arif Aiman dalam aksi ACLE 2024/25 menentang Shanghai Port membuktikan kemampuan dimiliki pemain berusia 22 tahun itu di pentas Asia.
#AWANIRingkas 21 September 2024 | 9 AM
Berikut merupakan rangkuman berita setakat 9 pagi 21 September 2024
1️⃣ Perkembangan banjir di Kedah
2️⃣ SZB catat peningkatan trafik
3️⃣ Unga Ke-79
#awaniringkas
1️⃣ Perkembangan banjir di Kedah
2️⃣ SZB catat peningkatan trafik
3️⃣ Unga Ke-79
#awaniringkas
AWANI Pagi: Kepentingan industri pelancongan kepada Wilayah Persekutuan
AWANI Pagi 7.30 pagi akan bersama Datuk Noridah Abdul Rahim, Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Wilayah Persekutuan, akan mengulas berhubung senario industri pelancongan di Wilayah Persekutuan serta strategi yang dilaksanakan dalam meningkatkan industri pelancongan di kawasan itu.
Perkembangan banjir di Kedah
Jumlah mangsa banjir yang ditempatkan di pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) di Kedah terus meningkat setakat 6 pagi tadi.
Manakala jumlah mangsa banjir di Pulau Pinang, Perlis dan Selangor menunjukkan penurunan berbanding malam tadi.
Manakala jumlah mangsa banjir di Pulau Pinang, Perlis dan Selangor menunjukkan penurunan berbanding malam tadi.
PGA rampas rokok seludup bernilai lebih RM200,000 di Tumpat
Pasukan Gerakan Am Briged Tenggara menumpaskan sindiket penyeludupan rokok dan merampas 200,000 batang rokok bernilai RM264,000 dalam dua operasi berasingan di Tumpat, semalam.
Pemangku Presiden Muda, Amira Aisya selamat diijabkabulkan
Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz selamat diijabkabulkan dengan pasangannya, Luqman Long pada pagi Jumaat.
UNGA 79: Konflik di Palestin, isu kemanusiaan di Myanmar antara fokus kenyataan Malaysia
Menteri Luar Mohamad Hasan akan menegaskan komitmen Malaysia terhadap multilateralisme, keamanan dan kerjasama antarabangsa di tengah cabaran global.
Terenggganu keluar fatwa GISB sesat jika ada bukti jelas - Mufti
Terengganu hanya akan mengeluarkan fatwa mengenai kepercayaan dan ajaran dalam GISB sebagai sesat sekiranya terdapat bukti jelas.
Dua penduduk Gaza cedera dalam serangan udara rejim Zionis
Dua penduduk Gaza menjadi mangsa kekejaman Zionis apabila cedera dalam satu serangan udara di kawasan kejiranan Zeitoun, Gaza.
Dalam satu hantaran di X pada Jumaat, Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Palestin (PRCS) memaklumkan mangsa bagaimanapun berjaya dibawa keluar dari lokasi serangan.
Dalam satu hantaran di X pada Jumaat, Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Palestin (PRCS) memaklumkan mangsa bagaimanapun berjaya dibawa keluar dari lokasi serangan.
UNL: Penampilan ke-100 Harry Kane berikan kemenangan buat England
Sebelum perlawanan, Kane menerima anugerah topi emas yang mengiktiraf Kane sebagai pemain ke-10 beraksi dalam 100 aksi buat England.
Kane intai penampilan ke-100
Menurut Persatuan Bola Sepak (FA) England, Kane akan menjadi pemain ke-10 negara tersebut mencapai sasaran berkenaan.
EURO 2024: Harry Kane sedia 'tinggalkan' pencapaian terdahulu demi julang gelaran bersama England
HARRY Kane mengakui dia sedia 'tinggalkan segala pencapaian yang diperoleh sepanjang kerjaya' untuk memenangi Euro 2024 bersama England, apabila bakal bertemu Sepanyol awal pagi esok.
EURO 2024: 'Sesiapa yang berdepan England berharap Kane tidak bermain'
PEMAIN England memberikan sokongan kepada kapten mereka, Harry Kane yang berada dalam tekanan selepas persembahan hambar dalam kejohanan Euro kali ini.
Euro 2024: Trofi bersama England lambang puncak kerjaya - Harry Kane
Harry Kane menaruh impian untuk menamatkan kemarau trofinya dalam Euro 2024.
Mourinho ramal Portugal julang trofi Euro
Perlawanan pembukaan Euro 2024 menyaksikan tuan rumah, Jerman berdepan Scotland dalam saingan Kumpulan A.
Euro 2024: Harry Kane berisiko tidak tersenarai dalam skuad England
Status penyerang Bayern Munich, Harry Kane, masih diragui untuk tersenarai dalam skuad Euro 2024 susulan masih bergelut dengan kecederaan.
Harry Kane bakal kembali ke Tottenham untuk pra-musim
Penyerang Bayern Munich, Harry Kane, akan kembali ke Stadium Tottenham Hotspur untuk menentang bekas kelabnya itu pada Ogos depan.
Harry Kane cipta sejarah Bundesliga dengan hatrik keempat bersama Bayern
Harry Kane mencipta sejarah Bundesliga apabila dia menjadi pemain pertama yang menjaringkan empat hatrik dalam musim debut bersama Bayern Munich.
Harry Kane pemain British pertama cetak 50 gol di pentas Eropah
Dia menghidupkan kembali peluang FC Bayern dalam Perlawanan Liga Juara-juara menentang Lazio untuk mara ke peringkat suku akhir.