England manager Roy Hodgson says that he was thrilled to watch Harry Kane score on his debut, backing the Tottenham striker to handle the pressure after a stunning season.
The 21-year-old came on as a second-half substitute and scored within two minutes of his arrival on the pitch as the Three Lions secured a 4-0 win over Lithuania at Wembley.
The win maintains England's 100 per cent record in Euro 2016 qualifying and Hodgson says that Kane will be an important part of his country’s future.
"I'm very pleased with tonight’s performance and delighted for Harry Kane," he told reporters.
"There has been a lot of talk about him. It's been a great week for him, we're delighted to have him and let's hope it's the start of a long career for him.
"I think he will put pressure on himself because he's a good professional. I don't think he will buckle under pressure.
"The media spotlight has been enormous and he will have to accept it will do better. It's important we don't build him up to knock him down but build him up to be an important part of our future."
Hodgson confirmed after the game that England will be withouth Raheem Sterling and Danny Welbeck for the trip to Italy, meaning that Kane could get his first senior start in Turin.
"Obviously his chances to start against Italy get bigger all the time; we're losing all these players," added the manager.
"I haven't got front players coming out of a hat but we will wait and see."
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