I had my hero moment today – Harry Kane happy to rescue England with late brace

Captain Harry Kane accepted he was England's hero after his brace sealed a 2-1 comeback win over the Democratic Republic of Congo to rescue the team from the brink of a humiliating round-of-32 World Cup exit. Brian Cipenga's early strike was left unanswered until Kane finally delivered the leveller in the 75th minute and then blasted in a spectacular 86th-minute second to complete the comeback.

England's performance had been ragged, sloppy and wasteful, with DR Congo giving them the fright of their lives. Djed Spence was exposed and Jordan Pickford was beaten at his near post. The centre halves Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa looked like strangers at times. DR Congo keeper Lionel Mpasi played the game of his life, and the referee denied Kane a clear penalty that looked certain on the pitch.

Jude Bellingham was three times denied by super saves as England struggled to find a way back into the match. It looked like it would not be their day, reminiscent of shades of Iceland. But then Kane stepped up with two goals in the last 15 minutes. Anthony Gordon came off the bench to provide two assists, while Declan Rice moved to right back, and suddenly England had a shape and renewed belief.

"It feels amazing to do this," Kane told the BBC. "What a crazy game. After that first hydration break I thought we upped the level we looked good."

After the final whistle, Kane gathered all the players together in a huddle on the pitch to gee-up the troops. The relief was huge as It's Coming Home played in the stadium to swathes of relieved England fans. However, Thomas Tuchel's side face their toughest test yet against tournament co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca, where they will need serious improvement from their defensive display.