Kane admits he still has a way to go to match Messi and Ronaldo
IT would not have been lost on record-breaker Harry Kane that it was less than a month ago that he was being put in the shade by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Following the Tottenham striker’s hattrick in Boxing Day’s 5-2 win against Southampton, the tributes have been pouring in. And so they should. Kane will finish this year with 39 Premier League goals, eclipsing Alan Shearer’s record from 1995. His tally of 56 for club and country during the calendar year also makes him the leading scorer in Europe, ahead of Barcelona’s Messi. Notably it was the first time in nine years where Messi or Ronaldo had not been top of the tree. Kane has spoken of his determination to one day rival the pair and he has achieved that over a remarkable 12 months, during which he has scored eight hattricks. Despite his feat he still has some way to go to overhaul them, with his 10th place finish in the Ballon d’Or proof. At just 24, however, time is on his side. “They’re both great records but the club and country one is good as it shows I’m doing it at all levels - Champions League and for England - and not just in one competition,” said Kane. “That’s one I’m very proud of. “When you look at Messi and Ronaldo, I’ve obviously still got a long way to go before I can be compared to them but it’s a start and that’s what I want to do. I want to keep improving and be up there one day. That’s always the goal, to be bracketed with the best players in the world. “Messi and Ronaldo have set that standard for so long now. To nick ahead is something I’m proud of and it’s just the start for me. I want to do it year in year out. They’ve done it for eight or nine years now so be classed in that bracket that’s what I’ve got to do. That’s my aim.” Kane is targeting trophies with Tottenham in 2018 instead of notching up any further personal milestones. For all of their near misses, Tottenham have not lifted any silverware since their League Cup final win over Chelsea in 2008. It remains, six years after his first-team debut, the one standout omission on Kane’s CV. Asked if personal records means more than the individual accolades heading his way, Kane said: “Yeah, for sure, 100%. I’ve always said team trophies are what I want to achieve. “We’ve got a good chance to win the FA Cup. In the Champions League we’ve shown we can beat the best and we’ve got to see how far we can go in that. Obviously in the Premier League we’re in a fight for the top four and we’ve got to see how high we can get. “There’s a lot to play for and for me it’s about winning trophies.” Kane has now promised to take his teammates for dinner to thank them for helping him reach the landmark. There’s little doubt he will be hungry to feast on struggling Swansea on January 2. “I will do everything I can to improve, whether it’s on the pitch, off the pitch, on the training pitch,” he added. “Whatever it is, I’ll keep looking to get better. It’s so important in the Premier League. “Thats the difference between winning and losing sometimes. If I can keep myself fit and healthy, we’ll see what happens.” – The Independent