‘Of course’: Gareth Southgate reacts to what Harry Kane was doing ‘in the second half’ vs Senegal last night

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Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane scored his first goal of the World Cup as England safely progressed to the quarter-finals.

It was another confident display from Gareth Southgate’s side, with Senegal never looking that threatening.

Southgate spoke to ITV after the match and praised a number of his players.

He made just one change to the team that beat Wales, introducing Bukayo Saka to the team ahead of Marcus Rashford.

England’s first goal came from an unlikely source, with Jordan Henderson slotting home Jude Bellingham’s cross.

Kane then scored his seventh World Cup career goal, lashing the ball past Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.

Saka then wrapped up the win with a neat finish, and England can now prepare for a massive game against France on Saturday.

Southgate reacted to Kane’s goal and was pleased he put the bed the question marks over his place in the starting XI.

In reality, Kane was never going to be dropped, and offers much more to England than just goals, as Tottenham fans will attest to.

Southgate reacts to Kane’s second-half performance

Speaking after the match, Southgate highlighted one aspect of the centre-forward’s game that really impressed him.

“Well any centre-forward wants to be off the mark, of course for him it stops all the questions,” Southgate said.

“I thought he started to find a bit more space in the second half, and his link play was better as well.

“Important for him and for us.”

Kane is well known for dropping deep to pick up the ball before playing his sweeping passes.

Senegal’s defence struggled to know how to deal with him, and were cautious to open themselves up too much.

BBC pundit Matty Upson also highlighted his positioning throughout the match.

Kane’s hold-up play impressed Lee Dixon, and allowed England’s other talented forwards to make things happen.

Southgate’s reaction to Kane’s latest performance in an England shirt is hardly surprising.

He’ll be hoping he can break Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring record against France in the quarter-finals as the Three Lions prepare to face their toughest test.