"We're very fortunate to have Kane", says England manager Southgate

England will face Italy in the first Group C Euro 2024 qualifier on Thursday evening in Naples.

Harry Kane missed a penalty in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat against France in the 2022 World Cup.

In his press conference ahead of the game against Italy, Southgate said Kane is one of the best England's strikers ever, and he is ready to make a difference for the three lions.

"We've seen that with his performances and goals for his club that he has put it behind him,"

he said.

"He knows he's going to have added motivation tomorrow [Wednesday] night to come back and show everybody what he is about again in an England shirt. For us that is a good position.

"It's always difficult to compare across ages, there a lot who I didn't see because I wasn't alive. But because of his goalscoring alone, that puts him in the upper echelons of that group.

"He provides so much more for the team than that, his quality of passing, his vision, his touch, he's an outstanding player and we're very fortunate to have him."

Kane will break Wayne Rooney's international record with his next goal for England. Spurs star is tied with Rooney on 53 goals for the Three Lions.

England midfielder Declan Rice said everyone in their squad will be happy for Kane if he breaks this record.

"I think you can see every time he scores a goal how much it means to him. Every goal, every training session, everything he does is at such a high level,"

he added.

"If he does break the record tomorrow, it will be thoroughly deserved. He is a real leader and a lot of us will be very happy for him if he breaks the record tomorrow night."

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