'Tremendous Belief': Gareth Southgate Explains Reason Behind Making Harry Kane England's Captain

England manager Gareth Southgate has explained his decision to make Harry Kane the national side's captain for this summer's World Cup, admitting that the Tottenham striker's genuine belief at success has made his mentality ahead of the competition perfect for a skipper.

With less than two weeks until the World Cup kicks off, excitement levels are starting to hit fever pitch. Though few expect England to do well in Russia, it appears the England squad themselves are confident of a good performance.

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That belief, according to Southgate, is why Kane was the obvious choice for captaincy.

“One of the reasons I made him captain was he has tremendous belief and he wants to aim for the very top. We have to have that mentality as a team," the England boss said, according to The Mirror.

“What I’ve said to the guys is, why should I limit what the guys think is possible? I’ve said that openly before.

“Against that is the reality of results over a four, eight, 12-year period which mean that would be an incredible achievement.

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"We know where our ranking is in terms of results over a period of time, and we know where this team is in terms of their journey as a team and their age.

“But, also, they have ability. We’re preparing thoroughly. Let’s see what we can achieve. He has always had that focus and always had that desire. That’s a mind-set we should embrace.”

England kick off their World Cup campaign on June 18, with their fixture against Tunisia in Volgograd. This is followed by their encounter with Panama (June 24) before their toughest tie of the Group Stage, Belgium (June 28).