London, May 22 (IANS): Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane was on Tuesday named captain of the England football team which will take part in the World Cup in Russia this summer.
At Tottenham, Kane, the two-time English Premier League Golden Boot winner, is the vice captain to Hugo Lloris and has occasionally worn the armband since Wayne Rooney retired from international competition in 2017.
The announcement was made by England manager Gareth Southgate in a live video on Twitter on Tuesday morning.
"Last night, we told the rest of the players that we've named Harry as captain for the World Cup.
"I think it's a fantastic honour for Harry (and) really well deserved. He's got outstanding leadership qualities," Southgate said.
"For me, the key for a captain is that you set the tone for everything that we do every day that we train, the way that we prepare, the professionalism toward the task. He's an exemplary model of that. He's prepared to challenge people, and I think now is a moment in his life where he is prepared and wants to bring that into the team environment.
"He recognises that the success of the team ultimately is how we're all judged as players."
Kane said the selection is "an amazing honour. Obviously, you always dream of playing for England growing up, and to be the captain is a little bit more," he said.
"To be leading the lads out is going to be special, but for me, nothing changes. I'm the same person and same player. It's just about the team. We've just got to do what we can and go as far as we can."
