Harry Kane turns attention to Panama with England focused on bigger picture

T he record books show that when Harry Kane last faced Panama, he scored a hat-trick and England won 6-1 . It was the 2018 World Cup and the goals gave him an unassailable grip on the Golden Boot. It was the second group game and victory ensured England’s safe passage into the knockout rounds. What not everyone remembers – although Kane certainly does – is how he completed the hat-trick. It was with one of the luckiest goals of his career. The England captain knew nothing about it because he was facing away from the ball. He merely felt Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s shot from outside the area flick off his heel and loop over the wrong-footed goalkeeper. His first two had come from the penalty spot. “A couple of pens and a lucky goal,” Kane said. “It wasn’t my most beautiful hat-trick. I’ll take that again on Saturday, for sure.” Kane is gearing up for the rematch against Panama in New Jersey in England’s final group game of this World Cup and the point, at this stage of the competition, is that results are the only thing which stand the test of time. It does not matter how teams advance. Just that they do. England will probably top their group if they beat Panama and Kane knows it would then be job done; phase one complete. Nobody will remember what happened in game two – the 0-0 draw against an ultra-defensive Ghana in Boston. Or Kane’s personal frustration. How he was man-marked by the Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey and could not get on the ball or find space. …