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Gareth Southgate is likely to bring forward the naming of Harry Kane as his captain.

England boss Southgate made it clear he wanted to delay naming a permanent skipper to take away the focus on the role.

But long-time captain Wayne Rooney’s international retirement last week is likely to speed up the process, as they still need a leader for certain duties.

Tottenham striker Kane, given the armband for the World Cup qualifier in Scotland at the end of last season, was expected to be given it permanently, but it was likely to be announced closer to next summer's World Cup.

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However, the 24-year-old is now set to be given the nod almost a year before those finals in Russia, although Southgate remains keen to take away the old aura of the armband to encourage more members of his team to show leadership .

He has also told his players they must be first-team regulars to get picked for England.

The warning was given at a team meeting, where the Three Lions boss made his ground rules crystal clear.

This hard-line approach will be a worry for those struggling for game time at their clubs, but will encourage players to move to teams where they are more likely to see plenty of first-team action.

For example, Nathaniel Chalobah left Chelsea for Watford and got called up.

And Burnley centre-half Michael Keane went to Everton this summer rather than return to Manchester United as he wanted regular appearances to boost his chances of a place in the World Cup squad.

While Southgate would never tell players who to sign for, the rules are very clear — sit on the bench for your club and you’ll sit out the World Cup.