England captain Harry Kane has disclosed that the national team is developing a detailed, NFL-style playbook for set-pieces as a central part of their strategy to win the upcoming World Cup.
The American Football Blueprint
Kane, a self-confessed gridiron fan, explained that the Three Lions are taking inspiration from the detailed playbooks used by American football teams. The plan involves creating a comprehensive catalogue of routines for free-kicks, corners, and long throws.
England scored nine of their 12 goals from set-pieces during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Kane believes this area of the game will be of "massive" importance in the United States, potentially even more so due to the challenging scoring conditions expected in the heat.
Building the Set-Piece Arsenal
The tactical work is being spearheaded by set-piece analyst Paul Quilter and assistant coach Anthony Barry, who are conducting detailed training sessions. A key component of this strategy is Arsenal's Declan Rice, who Kane highlighted for his exceptional delivery from dead-ball situations.
Rice has become a specialist for his club, which is currently renowned as the Premier League's set-piece kings. This club form is now being directly integrated into the England setup.
Kane elaborated on the rationale, stating: "We want to build a book of set plays where we can go into the tournament where there is not a lot of time to practice. You want to have like an NFL play book where you look at the opposition and see if they are zonal or man-mark and we can pick what we want to do."
The Brotherhood is Back
The England skipper also addressed the team's morale, confirming that the strong sense of unity, or "brotherhood," which was a hallmark of Gareth Southgate's tenure, has been restored under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
He pointed to examples like defender Marc Guehi, who stayed with the squad despite an injury to learn from meetings, as evidence of the renewed commitment. Kane is confident this bond, forged through shared experiences, will be vital for navigating the high-pressure environment of a major tournament and can ultimately carry them to glory.
Reflecting on their past successes, Kane concluded: "The best team at set plays normally go on to be the best team in the tournament. They go on to have clean sheets, they go on to the latter stages and we did that in 2018, we did that in 2022. Our defensive record is really good as well. So, that is a big part."
