With his penalty strike against Italy on Thursday night, Harry Kane became England’s record goalscorer just a couple of months after he broke Jimmy Greaves’ record for Tottenham Hotspur.
Such great strikers as Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Gary Lineker, Bobby Charlton and Greaves are all left trailing in Kane’s slipstream at international level, and there’s plenty of time for him to pull so far clear of his contemporaries that his England record may never be beaten.
If he’s able to overhaul Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 260 goals (Kane is currently on 204 per Premier League.com), then there’ll be no doubt as to his standing in the game whatsoever.
It’s arguable that he’s not the greatest striker the English game has seen already.
ENGLAND'S ALL-TIME RECORD GOALSCORER!
Congratulations, @HKane! ? pic.twitter.com/vXoeRcQrRC
— England (@England) March 23, 2023
No matter the opponent, the Spurs man has always appeared to impose his natural game for club and country.
What’s as significant as his record is the time it’s taken Kane too. Rooney’s 120 appearances for England came over 15 years per 11 v 11, compared to Kane’s 81 over eight years.
Not yet 30, there’s every reason to believe that, injuries notwithstanding, England’s current captain could go on for a few more seasons yet.
Given what he has already achieved, it’s about time that respect was put on Harry Kane’s name.
It’s time to move away from the discussion about how many trophies he has/hasn’t won, for he can’t win them on his own.
His job is to stick the ball in the onion bag and that’s something he does with absolute aplomb.
No amount of trophies will change that.