Top-scorer accolade is life-changing – and Kane can become

NEWCASTLE United legend Alan Shearer believes winning the Golden Boot at Euro 96 “changed his life” – and hopes Harry Kane can emulate his own success by topping the goalscoring charts at the World Cup. By the time Shearer represented England at the European Championships on home soil during the summer of 1996, he had already scored 112 Premier League goals in just 138 games for Blackburn Rovers – and had won the 1994/95 title, too.

Yet the 47-year-old, who is covering the World Cup as part of the BBC’s team out in Russia, insists he did not gain global recognition – and full confidence in his own ability – until he scored five goals and claimed the Golden Boot at Euro 96.

By the end of that summer, Shearer had completed a thenworld-record £15m transfer from Blackburn to boyhood club Newcastle, and was arguably the best out-and-out striker in the world.

Current England captain Kane has scored at a major tournament for the first time this summer, and has visibly grown in confidence since.

Having netted a brace during England’s 2-1 victory over Tunisia in their opening game, Kane then scored a hat-trick in the 6-1 win against Panama on Sunday to move on to five goals in Russia.

He is currently leading the race for the World Cup Golden Boot, ahead of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, both of who have four goals.

Should Kane go on to win the Golden Boot, then Shearer expects the Tottenham Hotspur striker to return to the Premier League with a renewed confidence – despite the forward having already netted 108 goals in 150 Premier League games and having finished top scorer twice in England’s top flight.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live ahead of England’s victory over Panama, Shearer said: “Ahead of the England game against Tunisia, Gary [Lineker] asked me the question, ‘What are we expecting tonight?’ And my answer was, ‘This can be lifechanging, career-changing, for some