‘Rooney shirt’ inspires Kane record push

Memento from 50th-goal night is daily motivation tool Southgate has driven ‘massive improvements’, says captain

There is an England shirt that hangs on the wall of Harry Kane’s home and provides daily motivation for the striker who is already one of the most driven players in football.

The shirt would appear to come from a relatively insignificant game for him – England against Switzerland in a European Championship qualifier in 2015 when he scored his third goal for his country in what was his fourth appearance.

But it was also the game in which Wayne Rooney became England’s all-time record goalscorer, scoring his 50th goal for his country from the penalty spot after Kane had come off the bench to break the deadlock.

On the night, the match report for Telegraph Sport read “there felt something appropriate that he [Kane] was on the pitch when the England captain scored. Kane was the first to congratulate him”.

The 28-year-old is now chasing down that record, having scored his 50th goal for England – also from a penalty – in the 1-1 draw away to Germany last week. He is just three goals behind Rooney’s final total of 53, having achieved his half-century in 71 games, 36 fewer than Rooney.

Did Kane feel destined to beat Rooney’s mark? “I don’t know if destined is the right word,” he said. “Back then, it was a million miles away. I remember that night he broke the record. Playing and scoring in that game, I remember how much it meant to him, and even for me being a part of it.

“I kept the shirt from that day and I have it up in my house. Not for any reason, but maybe looking at that every day gave me the motivation to one day try to achieve that.

“I’m close. I’m not there yet and I’ve still a got a few more goals to go, but I’ve been happy with my England career so far.”

Nevertheless, Kane has always been driven by targets and achievements. It is why, for example, he plays golf off a scratch handicap and will, alongside Pep Guardiola and James Milner, be competing in an Icons Series tournament in the United States this month. It is also why, when he is jokingly asked whether he might consider a career in golf when he retires, Kane does not completely dismiss the idea.

“I think that’s a long way away. You never say never in anything,” Kane said, before quickly adding: “I’m concentrating on football.”

But, like the shirt from the Rooney game, it is an insight into the England captain’s character.

Kane is also more settled at Totby tenham Hotspur since the arrival of Antonio Conte as manager, and qualifying for the Champions League.

“First and foremost, I’m looking forward to getting away [on holiday], but the plan is to be back on July 8 and head to Korea with the boys [for Tottenham’s pre-season tour],” Kane said.

“I look forward to another season. I got on really well with Antonio in the time he was there and I’m looking forward to next season and what’s to come.”

The World Cup will be midway through that season, with Kane solid in his support of Gareth Southgate, who has come in for criticism during this Nations League campaign.

“If you look at where we were in 2016 [when Southgate was appointed] compared to now, we’ve made massive improvements. We’ve knocked down a lot of hurdles in major tournaments by doing stuff an England team hasn’t done for a long time,” he said.

“Of course, we haven’t won anything yet, but we’re knocking on the door. I think we have been one of the most successful England teams in the past 50 years or so. So, we are definitely on the right track. I think we have still got stuff to improve, that’s just the bottom line.

“But Gareth is a fantastic manager, a fantastic person, and we are all really looking forward to being with each other for another major tournament.”