Kane says the heat is ‘not a factor’ as England aim to win the World Cup

Harry Kane believes that many of England’s preparations in the United States mean that worries about the heat of the World Cup this summer have gone too far.

England’s captain, Kane, scored one goal in a friendly against New Zealand 1-0 on Saturday, heading home late in the first half to continue his scoring streak that has seen him score 67 goals for team and country this season.

The temperature reached 33 degrees during the game, the players have to face a difficult playing field.

However, Kane insists the England squad is already adapting well ahead of their World Cup opener against Croatia on June 17.

Kane dismisses concerns about the heat

The build-up to the tournament has seen much talk of the weather expected across the United States, but Kane feels England’s training camp in Florida has prepared the team well.

“To be honest, I don’t think the heat has been too bad,” Kane said.

“We worked in these conditions every day and after the first session I think most of the boys got used to it.

“Today’s game did not feel very difficult this time, it is something that has been talked about a lot, but maybe more than it should be.

“We are paid players and we have prepared ourselves in such a way that the players and staff have done everything possible to prepare us.

“We still have more than a week before the first game, so when the tournament starts I don’t see that it will be a problem.”

The England captain is enjoying a rich vein of form

Kane arrives at the World Cup after another outstanding campaign and says he is relishing the chance to lead England to another major tournament.

The Bayern Munich striker is still one of the best players in world football and feels as physically strong as ever.

“Playing for England is something I really like,” he said.

“I am very proud to wear the shirt and be the captain of the team.

“It is an honor to lead this team to another World Cup and we are all excited for what is yet to come.

“There are always expectations when England go to a major tournament, but we accept that.

“I’m feeling as good as I’ve ever been and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Final preparations are underway

England have been based in Florida since arriving in the United States on Monday, with coach Thomas Tuchel using warm-up games to assess his options ahead of the tournament.

Tuchel has included two different players in each half against New Zealand, and another for the friendly against Costa Rica which will be held in Orlando on Wednesday.

Kane knew he would only play New Zealand but was delighted to find the net before the break.

“As a striker, you always want to score goals,” he said.

“I knew I was only going to play 45 minutes, so it was nice to get one before the break.

“But these games are about the result, it’s about building resilience, getting used to the weather and getting used to the stadiums we will be playing on.

“It is another important step in our preparation and now we are focused on the next game.”

England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas before completing group stage matches against Ghana and Panama.