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England captain Wayne Rooney has warned that expecting too much too soon of Harry Kane could smother the in-form Tottenham Hotspur striker.
Kane is expected to make his senior debut when the Three Lions take on Lithuania in a Euro 2025 qualifier at Wembley on Friday evening, with Rooney all too aware from his own past that expectations could be set too high too quickly.
He told reporters: "He hasn't even played a full season in the Premier League yet.
"So, although he has done really well, we have to give him room to breathe rather than smothering him and demanding a lot at an early age.
"We should give him time, let him continue to do what he is doing and that will be the best way to get the best out of him."
Twenty-one-year-old Kane has emerged as a major talent in the English game this season, netting 29 times in all competitions, including 19 in the Premier League, where he is currently the leading scorer.
And Kane is in prime form if he is handed a chance to shine for England, having scored five times in his last three games, netting both goals in a 2-1 derby win at Queens Park Rangers and a hat-trick in a 4-3 home victory over Leicester City last weekend.
He has scored two goals or more in a game on six occasions this term, completing trebles against both the Foxes and Greek outfit Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League.
England head coach Roy Hodgson has stated that Kane is likely to make his full debut in the next few days, but refused to confirm whether that would be against Lithuania or in the following friendly in Italy on Tuesday.
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