March 21, (THEWILL) – Ahead of England’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy, England manager, Gareth Southgate, has backed Harry Kane to break the all-time England goalscoring record.
Kane, who is currently level with Wayne Rooney on 53 goals for his national team, missed a penalty in England’s World Cup quarterfinal defeat to France. However, Southgate believes Kane has put that disappointment behind him and is ready to lead the team to victory in Naples.
Despite England’s poor record against top sides, Southgate and midfielder Declan Rice remain positive about the team’s chances of success in the tournament. Rice believes that England can compete with the best and is determined to go one step further by beating a top nation and winning a trophy.
The match against Italy will be an acid test for England, but Southgate believes his team is well-prepared for the challenge. Italy, who snatched the Euro 2020 triumph from England before dumping them down to the second tier of the Nations League, will also be highly motivated to win the match.
However, Southgate remains focused on his team’s performance and believes that the past is irrelevant. For England, the match against Italy is a great opportunity to start their campaign off well and qualify for the Euro.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
