“When you are in training with him, you rarely save a shot" - Jordan Pickford lavishes praise on 'incredible' England teammate

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has hailed international teammate Harry Kane as one of the best strikers in world football. The Everton star praised the Tottenham Hotspur forward for his clinical finishing and ability to find the back of the net.

Following England's victory over Italy in the UEFA EURO qualifiers yesterday (23 March), Pickford said (via The Boot Room):

“Harry [Kane] is a good mate of mine and is one of the best strikers in the world. When you are in training with him, you rarely save a shot because of the quality he has. If he has one chance, he is going to take it. He has that eye for goal. He will pick his spot and he will commit to that spot. Nine times out of ten you can’t get there as a goalkeeper."

He added:

"It is the pace, the whip and the way he finishes the ball is incredible, with both feet. If a defender is standing half a yard off Harry, then as a goalkeeper, you know you are in trouble because he will find that gap and he will commit to his shot. I have never seen a finisher like him.”

England won 2-1 against Italy in the UEFA EURO Qualifiers thanks to first-half goals from Declan Rice and Kane. Mateo Retegui managed to pull one back for Italy in the second half. However, the Three Lions went on to secure all three points.

With their victory over Italy, the Three Lions find themselves at the top of Group C.

"He dominated the centre-backs" - Gareth Southgate lauds Harry Kane after England star breaks record

Kane's penalty in the encounter against Italy saw him move to the top of England's all-time top goal-scorers list past Wayne Rooney (53). The Tottenham forward has amassed 54 goals over the course of his national career.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate lavished praise on the Tottenham striker, who, according to him, dominated the opposition's defense. Southgate said after the match (via Metro):

"His overall performance was outstanding – he dominated the centre-backs. You could see from early on he was on it."

He also addressed Kane's record-breaking penalty and said:

"To break the record in the manner that he did shows the strength of his character and mentality. I couldn’t be happier for him and his family – they are lovely people. He is a brilliant professional. To break the record with a lot of his career to go is an incredible achievement."

"The players gave him a brilliant reception afterwards, that was in response to breaking the record and what he had to recover from."

England will next face Ukraine at Wembley Stadium on Sunday (26 March).