England manager Roy Hodgson defends decision to let Tottenham striker Harry Kane take set pieces

Sam Long2 June 2016

England manager Roy Hodgson has defended his decision to let Harry Kane take set pieces for the Three Lions.

While David Beckham was previously the undisputed set piece taker for the nation, the lines are a little more blurred in England's current squad.

Captain Wayne Rooney often takes charge at free kicks but several players have delivered corners throughout the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

It was Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson whose delivery led to England's last strike from a set play when Eric Dier popped up with a winner against Germany in March.

And Hodgson is happy for his squad to continue to share responsibilities after Kane took a number of corners in the friendly victory against Turkey, despite his role as the side's central striker.

"It depends who is playing," Hodgson told the Times when asked who would take set pieces at Euro 2016.

"I don't need to apologise for Kane taking a corner, especially if you've got a player with his quality striking a ball an no one else in the team who comes up to that level of striking a ball.

"If we think he's the best man in terms of the delivery, putting the ball where we want it, we'll use him.

"If there's someone else who doesn't play as a forward but is equally as good, we'll use him.

"Kane took it because he was the best deliverer in that team that was out that day, from both sides," Hodgson insisted.

Kane is rarely required to take set pieces at club level with Christian Eriksen firmly established as Tottenham's chief dead ball specialist but could be ushered into the unfamiliar role again in France this summer.

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