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Johannesburg - Former Manchester United forward Dwight Yorke believes the England captaincy is a poisoned chalice.
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England manager Gareth Southgate recently announced that Harry Kane will wear the captain’s armband during the upcoming 2018 Soccer World Cup in Russia.
The 24-year-old was selected to lead the Three Lions ahead of Jordan Henderson, who has been the nation's preferred choice since the retirement of Wayne Rooney.
“With this young England team, Harry Kane is taking that on (captaincy) and before I came here (to South Africa) there was talk about every time a player has been selected as England captain... look at Alan Shearer in the past, his performances and goal ratio went the other way (drop in form), Wayne Rooney his ratio... " Yorke said at SuperSport's World Cup broadcast launch.
“Because of the responsibility and expectation, suddenly, you don’t think of playing football anymore - you’re thinking of managing all the players, you got to be the spokesman, the media is on to you, and there is a lot of responsibility that comes with it.
“And I know, Harry Kane is a young man, still learning the trade and still in the development... (being England’s captain) that’s a hell of a responsibility.”
Southgate named a controversial 23-man squad with the omission of Joe hart, Chris Smalling and Jack Wilshere.
Ashley Young and Gary Cahill are the oldest members aged 32 while the youngest is Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold at 19-years-old.
Kane will lead a young team in Russia and will hope he does not have to mend his ankle as he was sidelined for up to a month before Tottenham Hotspur selected the forward again, weeks before he was given the green light to play.
“The English game is gruelling,” said Yorke, who is a part of the SuperSport team of football analysts during the World Cup.
“It’s over 10-and-a-half-months, it’s pretty tough and if you become one of the key players in English football, there’s people that is going to be battering you but that’s part and parcel of the game.
“His got to pick the group up, he is their talisman, so to speak, I don’t see them (England) going beyond the quarter-final.”
England's first Group G match is against the lowly ranked Tunisia at the Volgograd Arena on Saturday, June 18.
Kick-off is at 20:00 (SA time).
Tashreeq Vardien is a paper basketball dustbin champion and works at Sport24... Follow Tashreeq on Twitter.
