Pundit Gary Neville insists captain Harry Kane will not ‘feel’ the pressure of carrying England’s World Cup 2026 hopes this summer, saying he’s “as solid as a rock”.
The much-anticipated tournament finally got underway on Thursday night, with Mexico and South Korea securing opening wins.
England begin their World Cup campaign with a Group L clash against Croatia (9pm BST) on Wednesday, June 17.
The Three Lions then face Ghana (9pm) on Tuesday, June 23 before wrapping up the group stage with a showdown against Panama (10pm) on Saturday, June 27.
And after scoring a staggering 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich this season, Kane will be England’s talisman in the tournament being staged in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Squad built around Kane
Former England and Manchester United defender Neville feels Kane can carry the nation’s hopes on his shoulders, telling ITV Sport: “This whole squad is about Kane.
“This whole tournament – a lot of it rests upon his shoulders.
“But the pressure? He won’t feel that. He’s as solid as a rock. He’s as good as they come as a professional. You can’t break him.
“You talk about England players who come to tournaments who opposition players can maybe get at, he’s the one where you can’t. He’s absolutely gold.”
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Controversial calls
England head coach Thomas Tuchel made some controversial calls in his squad selection, overlooking the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White.
And Neville believes that is strategic from Tuchel, who has selected attacking players with pace who can beat defenders and play to Kane’s strengths as a central striker.
The Sky Sports pundit added: “You talk about England having talented players, but we have one genuinely world-class player and that is Harry Kane.
“This whole squad that Thomas Tuchel has picked – in the attacking part – is all [to focus] around him.
“There are form issues, but there’s no [Phil] Foden, [Cole] Palmer, [Morgan] Gibbs-White – he wants players who can run past him.
“Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers are players who can sprint past him.
“I don’t think he can tire himself out and run like crazy.”
World-class Kane
Neville continued: “England aren’t going to be pressing from the front with Harry Kane so the game is going to have to be slightly different.
“But he’s got a lot of legs around him. The last thing you want with Kane is players around him who can’t run.
“They can all run, they’ve all got youth and energy. It’s all set up for him.
“He’s the leader in that group.
“How many world-class players have England had in the last 20 to 30 years? World-class, where there’s not even a doubt. He’s one of them.”
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SportJustSport writers 
Michael Davey