England immortality beckons for Kane in Qatar

Harry Kane received the adidas Golden Boot on the final FIFA World Cup

Bookmakers make him favorite to repeat that feat at Qatar 2022

The Spurs striker can also be closing in on England’s all-time scoring document

Harry Kane has already written his title in FIFA World Cup™ historical past. By scoring six instances at Russia 2018, the England captain earned himself the event’s adidas Golden Boot and, in doing so, adopted in feted footsteps of males like Ronaldo, Gerd Muller and Eusebio.

Kane, 28, can also be already assured of his place as a Three Lions legend. No-one within the historical past of England’s nationwide crew has scored extra typically in aggressive fixtures, and his total document of 49 from 69 appearances stands comparability with anybody in modern-day worldwide soccer.

Best targets (43)

Most targets at main tournaments (10 – joint document, shared with Gary Lineker)

Most targets in a calendar yr (12 – joint document, shared with George Hilsdon and Dixie Dean)

Nonetheless, his spectacular present type for Tottenham Hotspur is resulting in dialogue about feats that will make his erstwhile achievements pale compared.

May, for instance, Kane turn into the primary participant in historical past to high the scoring charts at separate FIFA World Cups? Bookmakers make him favorite to do exactly that, and his Europe-leading document of 12 targets in eight appearances throughout qualifying – one each 49 minutes – underlines why.

The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo can even have their eyes on Qatar 2022’s Golden Boot, in fact, and Kane’s possibilities of an unprecedented double might relaxation on whether or not England can go the gap. However one other historic achievement – the all-time Three Lions scoring document – now appears to be like to be a mere formality.

Having lately moved previous Gary Lineker (48) to affix the good Bobby Charlton on 49 England targets, Kane is now simply 4 away from equalling Wayne Rooney’s benchmark of 53. The present holder actually is aware of that his document received’t final for for much longer, and has been filled with reward for the person set to eclipse him.

“Harry’s a incredible participant and goalscorer,” he mentioned. “If I have been constructing a crew, he’d be the one I’d begin with. Harry Kane: there’s my No9, then I’d construct the remaining round him.

“Information are nice in fact however they’re there to be damaged. When Harry does break it, he deserves all of the reward and credit score that he will get as a result of it’s an excellent honour to carry that document.
“For him and for the supervisor Gareth Southgate, I additionally assume he ought to attempt to get that document earlier than the World Cup so it doesn’t turn into a distraction.”

Supplied he stays match, Kane can have six UEFA Nations League fixtures – towards Germany, Hungary and Italy – to match and doubtlessly surpass Rooney earlier than heading to Qatar. However with England’s clashes towards Hungary in Budapest and Italy at Wembley set to be performed in entrance of empty stadiums as a consequence of UEFA sanctions, there are fears that this landmark event might fall slightly flat.

“It could be massively unlucky [if the record was broken in an empty stadium],” Southgate admitted lately. “The video games behind closed doorways, frankly we’ve got seen and had sufficient of them, however for each nations it’s a punishment as a result of our followers and their followers weren’t capable of management themselves. That’s a humiliation for us, however it’s the scenario we’ve got obtained and it will be notably unhappy if that was the sport the place Harry broke the document.

“I don’t assume he’ll fear the place he’s taking part in. However it will be beautiful if it was at Wembley. And if it was within the World Cup closing, it will be completely positive!”

That’s the dream. And if he might seize a record-breaking, Golden Boot-winning strike to fireside England to their first world title in 56 years, Kane would make the transition from legend to World Cup immortal – and nationwide saint.