England boss Gareth Southgate says he would have been proud of his players even if they hadn't found a late winner in their World Cup opener against Tunisia on Monday night.
who failed to capitalise for long spells despite monopoloising possession throughout in Volgograd.
Speaking to 'BBC One' following the game, the 47-year-old insisted that he was pleased with the performance and would have been regardless of what the result had been.
"We created so many clear-cut chances, especially in the first half, and were in total control in the second half," Southgate explained.
"Good teams score late goals. I was most proud of the way we kept playing even though the clock was running down.
"We stayed patient, and didn't just throw the ball in the box.
"We deserved the win. We were strong on set-plays all night. If we'd drawn, even though it would have made life more difficult for us, I'd have been proud of the performance."
Unsurprisingly, Southgate was also delighted with Kane's performance, saying: "Harry is a top, top striker. I'm delighted for him as we'd be asking questions about him not scoring in tournament football if he hadn't scored. He took his goals really well."
Finally, for what appeared to be a foul on Kane shortly after Tunisia's equaliser left some onlookers bewildered, with Southgate among them.
"I think if it's a penalty at one end it has to be a penalty at the other," he admitted.
"If penalties are given for that then it's going to be an interesting tournament - there were similar offences at the other end."
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