England marching on

Kane off the mark, Bellingham looks brilliant and England can’t stop scoring. Now it’s world champs France in the last eight on Saturday!

ENGLAND cruised into the World Cup up quarter- finals last night with a commanding win over Senegal to set up a date with holders France in the last st eight on Saturday night.

Jordan Henderson put Gareth Southgate’s side in front on 38 minutes, before England d went the length of the field on the stroke of f half-time — ending in Harry Kane powering g home for his 11th goal in major tournaments, a new national record. Bukayo Saka completed ed the scoring with a deft finish on 57 minutes.

‘We’re all buzzing with the result, we’re going ng « to celebrate tonight,’ said Phil Foden, who set up

Kane and Saka’s goals. ‘I think tonight was my best England game that I’ve played so I’m really happy. It’s knockout football so we have to recover and it’s going to be hard — France look the strongest team in the competition, they’ve got talented players, but we will back ourselves on the day. England’s performance was powered by a sensational display from 19-year-old Jude Bellingham, who was involved heavily in the first two goals and has emerged as a global superstar in his first World Cup, which will trigger a bidding war from the biggest clubs in Europe next summer.

‘I don’t want to big him up too much,’ said Foden, ‘but he’s going to be the best midfielder in the world for sure.’

For his part, Bellingham was keen to hail his midfield partner Henderson, the senior statesman of the side who got the ball rolling with the opening goal.

‘I have seen some of the rubbish that was said about (Henderson) playing,’ said Bellingham. ‘It’s ridiculous. He’s so technically talented and he scored another goal in a massive game. He should get more respect.

‘We have shown we can score goals, we can be clinical when it matters. We scored at really good times and we can keep a clean sheet. If we want to win the next match that will be really important.’

Southgate lauded his all-action midfielders as he led England to a third consecutive quarter-final appearance — a feat only previously achieved by Sir Alf Ramsey, the 1966 World Cup-winning manager.

‘We were a bit sticky in the first 25-30 minutes and Senegal had a lot of energy, they pressed well, their shape was good,’ said Southgate. ‘I thought Jude and Hendo in particular were outstanding in that aspect of the game. ‘They’re both forward-running, forwardthinking midfield players. I think Henderson has been outstanding. He’s such a leader, he knits the team together, around the camp he’s brilliant.’

Kane’s goal, his first of this tournament, puts him just one behind Wayne Rooney’s England record of 53. And Southgate believes his captain has answered his critics after a slow start to the World Cup.

‘Any centre forward wants to get off the mark, for him it stops all the questions,’ said Southgate, 52, who was rewarded again for a tweak to the starting line-up with Saka having come in for Marcus Rashford, in the only change from last week’s 3-0 win over Wales. ‘We’ve got some super young players. They’re heading in a really good direction and these games are brilliant life experience for them. the progress they’re making is phenomenal. ‘I think the team tonight have made a very complicated opponent look straightforward.’