SUPERMAN!
Team-mates promised a slap-up meal after Kane hat-trick puts Shearer & Messi in the shade
HARRY KANE scored a stunning hat-trick to become a double record-breaker – then promised to thank his teammates with a slap-up dinner.
Kane’s treble took him to 39 Premier League goals – in 36 games – in this calendar year, beating Alan Shearer’s total of 36 in 1995.
And has eclipsed Lionel Messi as Europe’s top scorer for club and country in 2017 with 56 goals for Spurs and England.
Kane will get the plaudits but it was a fabulous all-round team performance by Tottenham against a Southampton side so bad there was almost an open invitation to score against them.
Dele Alli was back to form with two assists and a goal, Heung-Min Son was also on target and while Spurs often labour at Wembley, this was a display to be proud of.
Kane said: “I’ll have to take them out for dinner to thank them. It was a brilliant team performance and I always owe them a lot.
“I’m very proud of it. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated football for so long and are two of the greatest players ever so it’s an honour to even be compared to them.
“I’ll keep working harder, it’s about finding little percents to get better and doing things on the training ground to make you better. There’s a great staff here and a great manager here who will keep pushing me, don’t you worry about that.”
Kane looks destined to be a Tottenham legend and is on course to becoming an all-time England great. He is the arch poacher but also has the kind of power and centre-forward qualities to put him right up there with former Three Lions captain Shearer.
Shearer holds the Premier League goals record with 260 and is some way ahead of Kane’s 96, but the Spurs striker is only 24 and has
plenty of time on his side. England boss Gareth Southgate will be hoping he stays fit for the World Cup.
Kane will certainly not get such an obliging defence in Russia as Southampton’s.
The Saints crumbled and their abject display will be a big worry for boss Mauricio Pellegrino, who was under pressure even before his men made it a run of one win in 11 games.
Keeper Fraser Forster is suffering the most. He did not come for Christian Eriksen’s curling free-kick after 22 minutes while the marking was just as bad, allowing Kane to steal in for the opener which eclipsed Shearer’s record.
Kane got his second after 39 minutes as a lovely move involving Eriksen, Son and Alli swept aside the Saints defence.
The visitors were slightly better at the start of the second half and Mario Lemina hit the bar, yet any thoughts of a fightback vanished when Alli’s brilliant low shot made it three on 49 minutes. Tottenham were terrific, their passing and movement brilliant to watch.
Alli set up Son for a fourth before Sofiane Boufal pulled one back.
But Kane completed his hat-trick with Tottenham’s fifth goal after 67 minutes. Alli’s through ball released Kane, who clipped a shot past Forster. It was the eleventh hat-trick of his career and his eighth this year. Not bad considering he did not manage a goal in August.
Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris was for once not at his best and could not reach Dusan Tadic’s 81st-minute chip which made the scoreline look more respectable than Saints deserved.