Harry Kane needed four matches and 269 minutes before he recorded even one shot on target during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He appeared fatigued early in that event and I believed he required a break following England's opening pair of fixtures.

The situation stands in sharp contrast now as he will feel on top of the world after netting twice during the 4-2 victory over Croatia.

Any forward craves an early breakthrough at a major tournament above all else.

I enjoyed that fortune myself when England defeated Tunisia in our opening fixture at the 1998 World Cup.

It brought genuine relief not solely from the team victory but also from finding the net as captain and primary scorer amid expectations to perform.

Kane will share those exact emotions after his display on Wednesday for all the same motives.

He spent the entire week alongside the England squad viewing other fixtures and observing stars such as France's Kylian Mbappe, Norway's Erling Haaland and Argentina's Lionel Messi open their accounts often with multiple goals.

Kane must have yearned to participate and score in his debut outing too so achieving that inside 12 minutes plus adding a second proved enormous for him and the team.

Once Kane secured his first shot on target in Qatar during the last 16 clash with Senegal he found the net.

This occasion brings that positive momentum immediately and we already know the results when that occurs as in Russia during 2018 when Kane claimed five goals across England's first two games en route to the Golden Boot and a semi-final appearance.

With arguably the group's hardest fixture behind them and Ghana plus Panama ahead his prospects look bright.

Beyond the goals it is excellent to observe Kane in outstanding shape.

Following his delayed impact in Qatar I doubted his full fitness at Euro 2024 where setup issues also limited his influence.

Whenever he dropped deep for possession no forward option existed for him or teammates to exploit and he drew an additional defender into midfield reducing space and time for England.

Under Thomas Tuchel the approach differs as England deploy Kane similarly to Bayern Munich.

Tuchel has prior experience managing Kane at Bayern so he understands how to maximize his impact and recognizes its importance to England's prospects across the United States Canada and Mexico.

When Kane sought the ball against Croatia Noni Madueke Jude Bellingham or Anthony Gordon surged beyond him to trouble defenders through pace and drive.

Kane continues to contribute defensively for England as seen when he blocked a shot a yard from his own goal line in the closing moments yet he maintains his scoring touch.

He benefited from fortune on the retaken penalty that opened his account against Croatia but it also highlighted his resilience.

I have not faced an identical retake scenario but I converted two penalties in one World Cup match against Argentina in 1998 one in regular time and another in the shootout defeating Carlos Roa both times.

The moment before the second kick brings intense pressure with numerous thoughts racing as you anticipate the goalkeeper's move while he does the same and you fight doubts about missing.

For Kane to overcome that and place his second penalty in the identical location as the saved first requires real composure.

His header followed and it stood out as exceptional.

Declan Rice delivered an outstanding cross and although Croatia's marking faltered Kane capitalized fully by anticipating the ball's path swiftly and finishing with precision.

After such a rapid beginning Kane will naturally eye another World Cup Golden Boot as any striker would.

Alongside France's Mbappe and Colombia's James Rodriguez he ranks among just three players here with a sleeve patch denoting a prior win.

I understand a goalscorer's mindset and Kane will surely aim to become the first to claim it twice though Mbappe shares that drive while Messi and Haaland also target the award.

These three rank among elite finishers and despite their varied styles their teams are structured to maximize their strengths just as England now do with Kane.

The contest has begun and while it remains too soon to predict I am pleased Kane features in it since reaching far at this World Cup will demand his peak form.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan