Gordon reveals Kane’s message to squad after DR Congo victory

Anthony Gordon has revealed that Harry Kane urged his team-mates to enjoy the moment when he brought the England squad together for a post-match huddle after the 2-1 win over DR Congo. 

The skipper scored twice in the final 15 minutes as the Three Lions came from behind to reach the last 16, where they will face Mexico. 

In the immediate aftermath, Kane spoke to his team-mates on the pitch before they joined fans to celebrate with a rendition of the Oasis classic, Wonderwall, and encouraged them to savour what was a hard-fought victory. 

“He was saying that this win doesn’t define us, it doesn’t win us the tournament but enjoy it like any other nation,” Gordon explained.

“Sometimes the bigger nations have a tendency not to celebrate properly because they want to go further and they have high expectations, but that shouldn’t be the case.

“It’s a win in the World Cup against a tough a team and now we’re in the round of 16.”

Gordon proved instrumental in England’s turnaround, setting up both of Kane’s goals after he was introduced from the bench in the 61st minute.

His inviting cross was headed home by the captain for the equaliser, before some nimble footwork teed up the winner as the Three Lions finished strongly. 

However, rather than focus on himself, the 25-year-old was keen highlight the contribution of his team-mate, explaining how Kane's goalscoring prowess influenced his decision making for both goals.

“It’s all about H (Kane), isn’t it,’ he added.

“Without him, I probably don’t make those decisions. 

“For the cross, I probably would have shot normally, but as soon as I touched it I could just seem him in there somewhere and I just thought put it in the area and he does the rest for both goals.”