Jordan Pickford said England do not fear any potential World Cup knockout opponents because of his teammates' talent and praised captain Harry Kane for his finishing in the tournament so far.

England face Belgium in Kaliningrad, Russia, on Thursday with both teams having qualified for the round of 16 with a game to spare, but with Germany and Brazil struggling in their groups, there have been suggestions that finishing second in Group G may yield a more favourable path in the knockout stages.

Managers Gareth Southgate and Roberto Martinez have indicated that they will heavily rotate their teams to reduce the risk posed by injuries and suspensions, but Pickford said England are "right up there" with the best and that the goal remains to win the game regardless of the implications.

"Our mentality is to win every game we play in -- we can't be looking into that," Pickford said at a news conference. "I feel that if we keep winning, it builds momentum going into the tournament. We know Belgium is a top opponent and we need to be on our A game to get the win."

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Pickford, who missed out on his first World Cup clean sheet when Panama's Felipe Baloy scored in the 78th minute of England's 6-1 win on Sunday, said his teammates will prepare him in training for the challenge Belgium will present.

"As a goalkeeper in training, when you're getting the likes of Harry, [Jamie Vardy], [Danny Welbeck] and Marcus [Rashford] having shots against you, it's difficult," Pickford said. "So it's going to be difficult for the opposition. We know our defence is very strong. Throughout the team, we have got huge ability."

Pickford's optimism springs partly from Kane's form. The England captain had a hat trick -- with two of his three strikes coming from the penalty spot -- against Panama and has surged to the top of the Golden Boot race with five goals in his first two matches.

"You have got to do a lot of guessing but the power behind [his shots] and the accuracy ... both pens were the same and when Harry is finishing like that, there is no chance," Pickford said.

"He is a top forward for starters. That is his main game -- finishing. I was watching him from my end of the pitch and his two penalties were top drawer."

Source: espn.co.uk

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