Kyle Walker says ‘other player need to step up’ for England to win the World Cup after after the Three Lions were once again reliant on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham in their final group game.
Thomas Tuchel’s side broke Panama’s admirable resistance to secure a 2-0 win in New York on Saturday night and top Group L with seven points from a possible nine.
England, one of the favourites to win the World Cup, were frustrated for over an hour by a Panama side they thrashed 6-1 in Qatar four years ago.
Bellingham broke the deadlock with a neat finish from Bukayo Saka’s corner before turning from goalscorer to provider as Kane met his cross and headed home.
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Finishing top of Group L means England will face DR Congo in their first World Cup knockout game on Wednesday night.
Walker says Kane and Bellingham will need more support from their teammates if England have genuine aspirations of winning the tournament and expects that to come courtesy of ‘incredible’ Saka.
Saka earned his first start of the tournament against Panama and Walker, who earned 96 caps for England, saw signs that the Arsenal winger is ‘going to come into it now’.
‘You need players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to be firing on all cylinders for England to do well at the World Cup,’ the Manchester City legend and Burnley defender told The Sun.
‘Bellingham is looking very good and Harry is doing what Harry does. Jude was probably the best player against Panama, and drove them forward in the second half. Meanwhile Harry got a standard Harry Kane goal.
‘These players need to perform, of course they do, but you need others to step up as well. And I feel Bukayo Saka is going to come into it now.
‘Against Panama those were his first proper minutes from the start, getting up to the rhythm of the game.
‘He is an incredible player and in the last few seasons has been nothing short of brilliant despite his injuries.
‘Saka is one of the more senior members of the team and he has to take games by the scruff of the neck like Jude and Harry do.
‘We can’t just lean on certain players either, everyone needs to chip in. Everyone needs to up it now another five or ten percent because the opponents are getting better.
‘We got off to a flyer against Croatia, then hit a little stumbling block with the draw in the Ghana game.
‘The Panama performance, though not brilliant, stepped it back up again. We topped the group and that was our main objective.
‘Knockout football is when it really matters. You can’t win a tournament in a group stage, but you can lose one by going out.
‘You put the shirt on with pride, it’s all about the badge, and playing with your heart on your sleeve. But England are going to have to start playing their best football now.
‘Any game in this tournament is going to be a difficult one from here on.’
England’s last-32 opponents DR Congo finished third in Group K after beating Uzbekistan, drawing with Portugal and losing to Colombia.
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