The Sunday News
Harry Kane scored 79 seconds into his England debut and Wayne Rooney moved a step closer to Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time goalscoring record in a routine Euro 2016 dismissal of Lithuania at Wembley. Kane – with 29 goals for Tottenham this season – emerged as a substitute after 70 minutes with England already on the way to a fifth win from five qualifiers with goals from Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Raheem Sterling.
The stage was set for the 21-year-old but even the man with the Midas touch in front of goal this season would have struggled to believe he would score with his third touch as a full England international, heading in Sterling’s cross at the far post.
It was the final flourish on an England win that was little more than a formality in a group that surely provides the safest of passages to France next summer.
Rooney got the night off to the perfect start when he headed his 47th goal for England after only six minutes, leaving him just two adrift of Charlton’s tally ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Italy in Turin.
England’s captain also hit the woodwork twice before man of the match Welbeck, who deservedly kept his place despite public clamour for Kane’s inclusion, headed a deflected second just before half-time.
Sterling was rewarded for a lively performance with his first England goal – but it was Kane who did what he has been doing all season and stole the show with a predator’s effort as part of a confident cameo.
Hodgson refused to rush Kane into his England starting line-up despite his golden run of form but he will be delighted that he has demonstrated, albeit briefly and against desperately poor opposition, that he is an added weapon in his attacking armoury. — BBC Sport
