HARRY: YOU ME TIL I HIT
HARRY KANE has fired a chilling warning to the football world by declaring his best years are yet to come. With the England and Tottenham hitman breaking records galore at club level, while being equally prolific for country, many feel he is at his peak.
Well, the frightening news for defenders is Kane, who has scored 232 goals domestically and 32 for the Three Lions, does not agree.
He need only look at Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski, who leads Poland out at Wembley in Wednesday’s crunch World Cup qualifier, to believe his stunning stats will improve with age.
Each of those magnificent marksmen has continued to plunder goals well past the age of 30. Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski, 32, has scored 299 of his 542 career goals since turning 27.
Kane aims for something similar which, given he is 27, will have defences shuddering at the prospect. The England skipper, who needs another 22 to overtake Wayne Rooney at the top of the country’s all-time scoring charts, said: “I’m not the finished article by any means. I’m at a very good place at the moment and hope to get better and better in the next few years. “Lewandowski is a fantastic player, an incredible finisher, great movement – and his all-round game is fantastic.
“You see that year on year, with the goals he scores – and a lot of them have been in the last five years.
“I feel, especially nowadays, there’s no reason why you can’t be hitting your prime in your early 30s. Looking at Lewandowski, Ronaldo, Messi – there’s lots of players coming into even better form when hitting their 30s.that’s what I want to do.
“I’m 27 and still feel I’ve got plenty more to learn and to improve. So, that only gives me more motivation to do it.”
While personal targets are an essential part of any world-class striker, Kane’s desire to ensure his feats actually secure silverware for England outweighs everything.
Previous Three Lions captain Rooney admits a failure to do that remains his biggest regret. And Kane admits: “I’d be the same as Wayne if I get to the end of my career and haven’t won a trophy with England. I’ll always look back and regret that.
“That’s why, as a player and as the captain, I’ll do everything to help us win something. Not just for my own success or the team’s but for the country.
“It’s hard not to think about it. We know how much it would mean for everyone.”
According to Kane, having reached the semi-finals at Russia 2018, Gareth Southgate’s squad is now better equipped to go even further.whether that happens at this summer’s delayed European Championships or next year’s World Cup finals, Kane says they are genuine contenders.
Ahead of today’s World Cup qualifier in Albania he insisted: “Every time I meet up with England I’m so excited to be with some of the best players in the world.
“You look at our team, with an incredible mix of young and experienced players – all playing at the highest level for their clubs.
“So, yes, it’s there for us but it’s not as easy as just turning up and winning the tournament.
‘‘We have to go into the Euros with full belief in ourselves, which I feel we have, and achieve something special.”