Harry Kane can learn from Blackpool's Dave Bamber, says pundit Sinclair

Blackpool's Clark Robertson battles with Oldham Athletic's Aaron Holloway

Ex-Blackpool and England winger Trevor Sinclair has spoken out against striker Harry Kane taking set-pieces at Euro 2016, saying his Pool team-mate Dave Bamber would never have dreamed of taking a corner,

Kane failed to fire in England’s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday and the 6ft 2in Tottenham forward, who was the top scorer in the Premier League last season, has come under fire for taking set-pieces rather than being in the box.

Instead pint-sized pacemen Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling were left to battle it out with the giant Russian defenders.

And Sinclair has joined fellow BBC pundit Alan Shearer in hoping the policy is not repeated in this afternoon’s huge game against Wales in Lens

Bamber scored 236 goals during his two spells at Blackpool and played alongside Sinclair in the early 1990s.

And Sinclair, who whipped in many a cross for his revered team-mate, says Bamber would never have passed up the opportunity to be in the box for a set-piece and possibly score.

But he believes England manager Roy Hodgson should give Kane another chance to shine in today’s starting line-up.

Sinclair told The Gazette: “Would Dave Bamber have taken corners in my era? I think not.

“I can’t see any reason for him to be taking them for England.

“Yes, he has a good delivery but he is six foot odd and he can head a ball.

“I think it is a strange (decision). I don’t think it benefits Harry or the rest of the team.”

Sinclair played for England at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, when he was a West Ham player, but sees few similarities between that national squad and Hodgson’s group at Euro 16.

He added: “I think it is difficult to compare them. The team I was in played together for a long time and included players like David Seaman, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen.

“I was one of the new boys who went in the end (as a late replacement for Danny Murphy).

“There was a lot of experience , players with more caps who had gone to big tournament before.

“The current team has a lot of young players who have not been to a tournament of this size before.

“But I was impressed with the display against Russia. England just need to be more ruthless against Wales and take their chances.”