Kane on verge of becoming his nation’s all- time great
Harry Kane’s sixth goal of the World Cup took him level with Gary Lin eke rf or England’ s record at a single tournament.
Kane struck from the penalty spot against Colombia in Tuesday night’s last- 16 tie, with England eventually winning through in a penalty shootout in Moscow.
Only Lin eke rh as scored more World Cup goals overall for England than Golden Boot pace- setter Kane.
The Tottenham striker has scored with all six of his shots on target at this World Cup, with his goals coming from only nine attempts in all( two off target and one blocked ). Even those numbers maybe in flated by his third goal against Panama, when Rub en Loft us-Cheek’s shot looped in off his heels, being classed as a “shot”.
His goals include three penalties –two against Panama and one against Colombia on Tuesday, when of course he also scored in the shoot out that secured England’ s progression.
Kane’ s goals have come in only three appearances and England have yet to score a goal without him on the pitch, either against Belgium or after he was substituted against Panama.
He was on form in the pre - tournament friendlies too and has now scored in six successive caps, a feat last achieved by Tommy Lawton b et ween October 1938 and May 1939.
Only once before has an England player reached half a dozen goals in a single World Cup – Lineker in 1986. His goals came in five games and, like Kane’s, featured a hat-trick, in his case against Poland in the last group game. He hit two against Paraguay in the next round.
Lin eke rt hen added four goals at the next World Cup in 1990 to leave him as England’s all- time record holder on ten. Kane has moved ahead of 1966 hero Geoff Hurst into second place on the list.
But being the top scorer isn’t, of course, a passport to lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy. Only three Golden Boot winners have been on World Cup- winning sides in the last ten tournaments. Argentina’s Mario Kempes achieved the feat on home soil in 1978, Paolo Rossi did it with Italy at Spain ’ 82 and Brazil’s Ronaldo won both the World Cup and Golden Boot in Korea/ Japan 2002. Will Kane become the fourth?