Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has urged England head coach Thomas Tuchel to carefully manage Harry Kane’s playing time at the FIFA World Cup, warning that overworking the captain could prove costly in the latter stages of the tournament.
Kane continued his impressive scoring run by netting England’s second goal in their comfortable 2-0 victory over Panama, taking his tally for the Three Lions to 82 goals.
However, while the Bayern Munich striker once again demonstrated his predatory instincts inside the penalty area, Rooney believes England must prioritize keeping their talisman fresh rather than chasing individual accolades.
READ MORE:England vs Croatia: Kane equals England’s scoring record in World Cup opening win over Croatia
England were forced to work hard against a resilient Panama side that frustrated them throughout the first half.
The breakthrough eventually arrived after the restart when Jude Bellingham flicked home from a corner in the 62nd minute before Kane doubled the advantage just five minutes later with a trademark header to effectively seal all three points.
Despite another clinical display from England’s record goalscorer, Rooney insists Tuchel should have withdrawn Kane much earlier once the result was beyond doubt.
“In previous tournaments with Harry Kane, I think he has looked a little bit tired towards the end of tournaments,” Rooney told BBC Sport.
“He came off in the 84th minute, I think the minute he scored and England were 2-0 up and the game is done, get him off. Even if it is 20 minutes left, you know in the last 20 minutes of games, that is when you get fatigued and that is when it takes the most out of you.”
Rooney’s comments stem from England’s previous major tournaments, where Kane often played heavy minutes as former manager Gareth Southgate kept faith with his captain throughout matches.
The former England skipper believes accumulated fatigue ultimately affected Kane’s sharpness when the knockout rounds reached their decisive moments.
With the World Cup entering its business end, Rooney feels Tuchel has an opportunity to avoid repeating that mistake by rotating his captain whenever England have matches under control.
The former striker also warned against allowing the race for the Golden Boot to influence selection decisions, stressing that collective success should always outweigh personal milestones.
Kane is among several elite forwards competing for the tournament’s top scorer award, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
“We’re in danger now of going into a World Cup where you have got Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe, Harry Kane, Vini Jr, all trying to get the Golden Boot when it’s about the country,” Rooney added.
“We saw it with Southgate when he never took Kane off, I hope Tuchel learns from that and he gives him a rest when he can.”
As England prepare for the knockout rounds, Tuchel faces the delicate balancing act of keeping his captain match sharp while ensuring he remains physically fresh for the biggest tests that lie ahead.
With Kane leading the line and England harbouring genuine hopes of lifting the trophy, managing the striker’s workload could prove just as important as his goals in determining how far the Three Lions go in the competition.
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