Harry Kane England Croatia 181118Getty

'The future looks amazing' - Redknapp backs England to win major trophy in next eight years

Harry Redknapp says that he believes that England will win a major title within the next eight years as the longtime manager backed the country's current stars to shine brightly on the international stage.

England fell just short of World Cup glory in Russia this past summer, falling to Croatia at the semi-final stage in the nation's best tournament performance since Euro 1996.

The Three Lions haven't lifted a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, having come in fourth in 2018 and 1990.

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In addition, England's best finish at the European Championships is third place, having reached that mark in 1968 and 1996.

And now, with Euro 2020 looming, Redknapp says Gareth Southgate's side is poised for a long-awaited tournament victory.

"We've got an amazing group of young players," said Redknapp, who last managed Birmingham City in 2017.

"It's such an exciting time. Gareth is in for a great ride with these young kids. I just see so much talent there, the future looks amazing.

"I think we are on course to win a European Championship or World Cup in the next eight years. There is a big competition in this group of England players."

In particular, Redknapp pointed to Harry Kane, a player he sees as the team's leader.

The manager worked with Kane during his time with Tottenham from 2008-12 before the forward truly broke out in 2014.

And Redknapp says that Kane is the ideal star to lead this young Three Lions team through the next few tournaments due to his ability on the pitch and demeanour away from it.

"He's just a class act, on and off the field," said Redknapp. "People said the same about Bobby Moore - a great captain and leader.

"He's a great guy, a perfect role model. He gets on with his football and trains hard, works hard. You never see anything bad about him; he's a family man."

England are set to face the Czech Republic and Montenegro to kickstart Euro 2020 qualifying. 

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