Harry Kane has been named England captain for the World Cup by head coach Gareth Southgate.
The Tottenham striker got the nod ahead of Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and Spurs midfielder Eric Dier, who have both captained their country before.
The announcement was made during a meeting with the squad at St. George’s Park on Monday night with Kane revealing his delight at being handed the armband.
A standout performer for his club over he past few seasons, Kane who has 12 goals in 23 England matches, said: “It is an amazing honour.
“You always dream of playing for England growing up and to be the captain is that little bit more.
“I’m so excited for the World Cup. I can’t wait to be there and experience it. To be leading the lads out is going to be special.
“But for me, nothing changes. I’m still the person, the same player. It is just about the team. We will do what we can and go as far as we can.”
Southgate, who recently named his final 23-man squad, added: “Harry has some outstanding personal qualities. He is a meticulous professional and one of the most important things for a captain is that they set the standard every day.
“He has belief and high standards and it is a great message for the team to have a captain who has shown that it is possible to be one of the best in the world over a consistent period of time and that has been his drive.
“My feeling is that over the last 18 months in the camps that he’s been with us he has shown that he has got the desire to take that into a team environment and he recognises the importance of bringing others with him.”
Before the Three Lions kick off their World Cup campaign against Tunisia, Southgate’s side face Nigeria and Costa Rica in international friendlies.
