Chris Waddle shares what will be the 'hardest part' for England at World Cup

Former England winger Chris Waddle shared what he thinks will be the hardest thing the Three Lions to deal with during the World Cup.

Waddle, who played 62 times for England, featured at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups with the Three Lions reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

Speaking exclusively to GB News through NewBettingOffers, Waddle explained the challenges England will have to overcome.

He said: "The hardest part of this tournament for the England players is going to be the weather. I played at Mexico 86, and it was really tough.

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"There's the heat, but also the length of the grass and the altitude to consider too. People may watch on TV back home and wonder why players are struggling, but for teams going to Mexico expecting to win, they are in for a shock.

"There will be water breaks, which I'm sure the players will be desperate for. There are no questions over the players' fitness, but the heat will affect them.

"Thomas Tuchel is going to need to use his substitutes wisely, because many players will not be able to complete a full 90 minutes, especially in midfield.

"So the teams that have success will be the ones that can break quickly, or who are technically very good and can dominate possession. Sides of that nature will be the ones that go the furthest. England are ok in possession, but definitely not one of the best teams at the tournament in that regard."

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England kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia, with Waddle noting that they will need the very best of Harry Kane to succeed.

He told the People's Channel: "He's on fire at the moment and has so much confidence coming off the back of another fantastic season with Bayern Munich - he just keeps on scoring.

"He's the player that you always turn to when you need a goal, and he showed again against New Zealand that he is the man to step up and make the difference.

"Tuchel has Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney as a back-up, but without Kane, I don't see how England can score enough goals to win the tournament."

Several players are playing at their first World Cups, including Elliot Anderson and Nico O'Reilly, which comes with an immense amount of pressure.

Waddle noted the benefits players have from being "together as a squad for many weeks", sharing an anecdote from Italy in 1990.

He said: "At Italia '90, we were together for seven weeks, and I shared a room with Paul Gascoigne, so I was only getting around three hours' sleep a night!

"Everything will feel completely new for the debutants, but I'm looking forward to seeing how they get on.

"My advice would be to go out and play their natural game. Listen to Tuchel, understand what he wants you to do and the system to play, but when you receive the ball, do what you think is right and can have the biggest positive impact on the game.

"Ultimately, that's why they've been selected in the first place.

"The debutants should express themselves and show why they deserve to be at the World Cup."

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