KANE CAN BE REAL DEAL AS CAPTAIN
In the Spanish capital this week, the first murmurings began. Real Madrid are beginning their charm offensive and this time around the target is harry Kane.
Privately, tottenham insist that they will not even begin to contemplate the sale of europe’s in-form striker.
In Madrid, they perceive similarities between Kane and their former marksman Raul Gonzalez.
the former Spain captain Fernando hierro once reflected that Raul was ‘not a 10 out of 10 in anything but he was an eightand-a-half in everything’.
Kane is a striker in the same mould. he is skilful, his first touch is assured and his finishing is lethal. he is astute in his movement, patient in his temperament. While Wayne Rooney scampered the field in search of the ball in england colours, Kane is disciplined, conserving energy and affecting the match where it matters most. this was a frustrating evening for england against a limited side.
Kane will have better nights but did at least try and set the example early on.
he had the first significant strike on goal, collecting the ball 25 yards out, shimmying past an opponent and testing the goalkeeper to his right.
But as england toiled for any semblance of rhythm, Kane began to cut an isolated figure.
When a chance did fall his way as the ball landed close to him from a deflected Jordan henderson cross, Kane was, for once, caught off-guard as the ball bobbled off his shin. Another chance passed by as he dragged a loose ball wide of goal. Yet Kane speaks often of patience, the need to keep believing a goal will come. here, he was forced to wait until the fourth of six minutes of added time. Kyle Walker flashed a ball across goal and the centre forward slid in to divert the ball home for 1-0.
On an exasperating, uninispiring night for england, it was captain Kane who had delivered when his manager needed it.
Real Madrid are scouring europe and South America for the world’s best as they recruit long- term replacements for Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Kane fits the profile.
When Real Madrid want something, they invariably get it. Deep down, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will know this only too well, having eventually ceded to the sales of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
Yet tottenham have a trump card — Kane’s personality. he likes being one of tottenham’s own. he is proud to be england’s leading man.
Kane admitted earlier this week that his mother would shed a tear as he led the national team for the first time at Wembley. the words were sincere.
After the sordid headlines attracted by past england captains, perhaps most reassuring of all is Kane’s admission that ‘apple crumble’ is his guilty pleasure. he has the character to manage the pressure of captaincy. next summer in Russia, he can prove it to the world.