Goal King Kane
“You have to be ready for any chance at any moment,” said England captain Harry Kane after the Three Lions beat Switzerland at Wembley.
Kane was ready as he stepped up to score from the spot – netting his 49th goal for England to surpass Gary Lineker and join Bobby Charlton as the country’s second top scorer.
“Penalties are a great way of getting on the scoresheet, I practice and work on them a lot. It is amazing company to be with, super proud to be doing that but we look forward to the next one. A big year ahead to get more caps and more goals. I will be ready for Tuesday but it is down to the manager.”
Tuesday was the visit of the Cote d’Ivoire, a game where Kane had made it clear he wanted to play (as he does every game) though Southgate was giving nothing away in the run-up.
It seems certain Kane will surpass Wayne Rooney at the top of the scoring standings, a case of when not if. The England manager noted that the fixture list means that it could happen behind closed doors, with two games to be played without fans.
“I don’t think Harry will worry where he is playing in terms of the opportunity to break the record,” Southgate told the media. “But that would be hugely unfortunate [if it was to be in an empty stadium].
“Frankly we have seen and had enough of games behind closed doors but for both countries it is a punishment because our fans and their fans weren’t able to control themselves. That’s an embarrassment for us but it is the situation we have got. It would be particularly sad if that was the game where Harry broke the record.”
‘Hungry for more’
Kane has said that he is “hungry for more” goals.
“All about the performance, World Cup preparations and good to see the young lads get their debuts,” he wrote on Twitter after the win over Switzerland. “Delighted with the win and a goal as well. An honour to join Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals. Hungry for more.”
Kane, who could have played for Ireland of course because of his father, has edged toward the record in just seven years since his debut. He has played at two UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup – the penalty against the Swiss was only his sixth goal in a friendly for England. By comparison, Rooney (16), Lineker (26) and Charlton (35) all netted more in friendlies.
His goal was his 14th penalty for his country – though critics of that fail to recognize that it is hardly Kane’s fault – more than Rooney’s seven, Lineker’s four and Charlton’s three.
Teammate Luke Shaw considers Kane among the best in the world.
“For me at the moment, the way he’s playing, he’s one of the best strikers in the world, probably the best,” Shaw said after joining his captain on the scoresheet in the win over the Swiss. “So hopefully you can keep that form up, keep it going.
“He’s showing it week in week out at the moment and it’s a joy to watch. Long may that continue and I’m sure he will be hunting another Golden Boot and all the other records.”
Kane – the golden boot at the last World Cup in Russia – has his sights on the English Premier League record in due course. He recently passed Frank Lampard and Thierry Henry in the all-time scoring charts.
“Thierry was one of the greatest Premier League strikers we’ve seen so to go above him now is a nice little milestone,” Kane told Sky Sports after surpassing Henry with a brace against Everton.
“We just keep going. I feel like I’ve got plenty more years in me.
“Hopefully I can keep ticking off those names, keep helping the team with my goals and then we’ll see where we end up.”
Now on 178, there is no reason to think Kane cannot reel in Sergio Aguero (184) and Andy Cole (187) before the end of the season. After that, Wayne Rooney on 208 stands in the way of Alan Shearer’s record 260.
The goals have not dried up despite Kane often dropping deep to bring others into play.
“Sometimes you have to smell where the space is,” Kane said of that element in his game.
“Obviously the manager will always set out his plan and I think over the last few years I’ve maybe been given a bit more of a free role in terms of being able to drop in there. Personally I like to sense the game and see where the space is.
“Some games this season you’ll see me stay high the whole game if I feel like that’s the right thing to do, run in behind, because I still feel like that’s a big part of my game. Tonight there were times I could drop and get the ball. Overall I think it’s just me evolving as a player.”
Better than Lewan?
The evolution has made Kane one of the hottest properties in the game, although he might not be recognized as much as he deserves to be.
“I feel that Lewandowski is an outstanding striker,” former Aston Villa and England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor told talkSPORT recently.
“His numbers are crazy but, like we said, he’s playing in the ‘Mickey Mouse’ league.
“Compare that to the Premier League with Harry Kane, how many goals has he scored in the Premier League?”
“Put Harry Kane in that Bayern Munich frontline, how many does he score?”
It is an interesting question and one that might be closer to being answered in the summer if Kane leaves Tottenham Hotspur – as he threatened to do last season.
“Personally, you want to be in the best competitions in the world,” Kane told Sky of his current goals with Spurs, who are chasing a UEFA Champions League spot. “My focus is on this year. Getting top four is the most important goal for us now. If we can get on a run, this is more than possible. That’s all I can control and that’s all the manager can control as well. Let’s see where we end up.”
Where Kane ends up will be a topic of much scrutiny this summer but you can bet he will be near the top of the scoring charts.
Harry Kane (right) of England contests the ball with Fabian Frei of Switzerland during the international friendly match between England and Switzerland at Wembley Stadium on March 26, 2022 in London, England. Photo: VCG
