Harry Kane has said he hopes ‘Wonderwall’ can become the soundtrack of the summer as England plot their way to World Cup glory.
Thomas Tuchel’s side got off to a great start with an impressive 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening Group L game in Dallas on Wednesday, where Kane scored twice to equal Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals.
England’s victorious players celebrated in front of their fans while Oasis hit ‘Wonderwall’ blared out around the AT&T Stadium.
Kane, who appeared emotional during the singalong, will savour the moment and wants fans to keep rolling with it as they aim to achieve their masterplan of winning the World Cup.
“That was one of my favourite ever moments in an England shirt and especially at a major tournament,” he said on the Lions Den.
“I know it’s just the first game, and we’re not getting carried away, but just that emotional connection with the fans, we know how much it means to them.
“I think they see how much it means to us.
“We have that connection right now, but just that moment, singing ‘Wonderwall’ in the stadium, everyone knew the words, and that was a really special moment, I thought.
“As first games go, to have that kind of support from everyone, and we know back home is the same.
“We know there would be plenty of beer getting thrown around, with it being a night game, so we love that stuff.
“All the squad are fans, we’ve grown up watching England. We’ve grown up in those environments, and to be on the other side now doesn’t mean that we’re disconnected.
“It just means that we’re trying to give the fans special moments, like Wednesday.
“So, hopefully, we can have a few more.”
Tuchel has spoken continuously about creating a “brotherhood” in the squad, building on the work Sir Gareth Southgate started at the 2018 World Cup, where England reconnected with the nation’s fans after a decade of dismal tournaments.
Kane is one of three players who remain since Russia, along with Jordan Pickford and John Stones, and is enjoying the “freshness” of the squad.
“This one feels a little bit different, I think,” he said. “Our roles have changed a little bit, obviously, being the more experienced guys, the older guys.
“There aren’t many players from those early tournaments in this squad, so there’s a freshness about it, where you can really see a hunger, a desire, and excitement from the players in the team, just to kind of be part of what could be obviously a special summer.
“You see us around the place, everyone getting on, everyone being with each other, spending time together, but also you see it in training, the way we train, the intensity we train at the competition for places, but there’s no anger towards your competition.
“It is literally, let’s just compete for the place, and whoever plays will play, and I’ll be ready to come on and make a difference when I get my turn.”
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There is plenty of competition in the squad, with Tuchel pitting a host of his stars in head-to-head battles for starting spots.
That means they have firepower on the bench, as shown in Wednesday’s clash with Croatia where Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers all came off the bench.
“Throughout a tournament, you need all the players in the squad,” Kane added.
“Whether it’s the players who play or come off the bench, or the players who are training the next day, there’s a level that I think we’ve all set each other, and it’s a great squad to be a part of.”
