Gareth Southgate hopes Harry Kane will seize the opportunity to show he is one of the best strikers around at next year's World Cup.
England will learn their group stage opponents for the tournament in Russia when the draw is made in Moscow on Friday.
The Three Lions will be drawn from Pot 2 and could face one of Germany, Brazil, France, Belgium or Argentina in the first round.
With a tough pool a possibility, England manager Southgate wants his top players to be at their best in the tournament, and sees top striker Kane as a key figure.
The 24-year-old has scored 16 goals in 18 games for Tottenham Hotspur this season and seven in his last six appearances for the national team.
And Southgate hopes Kane takes advantage of the opportunity to prove his ability on the global stage.
“I’m certain it is Harry’s ambition to be the best in the world," he told reporters. “If that is his ambition, then this is the stage to go and show it.
“As a player, you are judged a lot by what happens with your club, but in the end the world stars are ultimately judged by what they do with their country, and in major tournaments.
“This is the stage for all of our guys to show exactly the level they are capable of.”
The 47-year-old is optimistic about his side's chances as he feels there is a good atmosphere within his squad.
“If we come back and the country are proud, that will mean we have played well, in a way that the nation has engaged with and we will have won some games.
"We are excited about what lies ahead. There has been a really positive feel around what has happened in the last few weeks. Definitely.
“People are excited by some of the younger players we have played and the approach we have taken and we have got to build on that going into the summer.”
