JAKARTA - Harry Kane praised England's composure until they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup after he scored his first goal in the tournament as the Three Lions pounced on Senegal 3-0 in the last 16 match on Monday morning WIB.
England have now won their knockout stages for the first time in three major tournaments in a row to hack into meetings with defending champions France into the top eight this Saturday.
"The knockout match is never easy. We showed great maturity," Kane told ITV after one goal from Wayne Rooney's record 53 goals for England, citing Antara, Monday.
"From the start the mentality was at the top and we managed to take advantage of our chances once those opportunities emerged."
At the age of 29, Kane was one of the senior players in Gareth Southgate's squad in the midst of easy players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka who looked very promising.
Saka scored his third goal in the tournament, while Foden provided two assists and Bellingham were very involved in the opening two goals.
"The three have played a big role in scoring goals. We now have a great mix of young and experienced players," Kane added as quoted by AFP.
"For years it wasn't easy for England, so winning 3-0 was a great night," Kane said.
France will be a tougher test for England's hopes of winning the first major tournament since 1966.
Kylian Mbappe looked stunning for Les Bleus when he scored twice as France beat Poland 3-1.
"We're going to enjoy this one but then our focus turns to that, the (against France) game will be a very tough game," Kane said. "They're the defending champions but it's a good fight."
Next up for the #ThreeLions: France! 👊 pic.twitter.com/R66hLJFT3k
— England (@England) December 4, 2022
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