Accusations of Harry Kane stat-padding for England by filling his boots against lesser opposition have been rubbished by former Three Lions striker Chris Sutton. Bayern Munich frontman Kane, who continues to captain his country, has taken his historic tally of international goals to 74. He will be looking to join Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive club by reaching 100.
England GOAT: Appearance record in sight for Kane
Few men have been able to pass that mark, with all-time greats Messi and Ronaldo achieving that feat with Argentina and Portugal respectively. When Kane made his England bow in 2015, nobody could have predicted what was to come. He now boasts entries in the history books with Tottenham and the Three Lions.
Kane has taken in 109 appearances for England, meaning that he could easily chase down Peter Shilton’s historic cap haul of 125. If he were to top that chart, then it becomes easier to support his claims to being the greatest player that the Three Lions have ever called upon – rising above the likes of Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and David Beckham.
AdvertisementGettyKane record: Impossible to argue with strike rate
The odd question has been asked of whether he should, at 32 years of age, still be leading the line for England on such a regular basis. It is, however, impossible to argue against his strike rate and there are few proven alternatives for the Three Lions to select. With that in mind, Kane can expect to fill the No.9 jersey for some time to come.
That will allow him to move ever closer to becoming a centurion on the goal front, with Sutton telling of a remarkable record at the very highest level: "If Harry Kane announced his retirement from international football today, we would instantly view the England team and their chances at next year's World Cup in a completely different light.
“Kane may not have too long left with England, but who is the replacement? Who is anywhere near his level? No-one. That tells you all you need to know. As an all-rounder and ruthless goalscorer, England haven't had many better.
“People say about scoring goals in qualifiers but he's not the fixtures secretary, is he? He can't help who he plays against. He's a goalscoring machine and has been all his career. When you are talking about all-time great England strikers, he has to be in that conversation. Just look at his numbers.”
Major tournament numbers: Kane deserves respect
Kane has not only filled his boots in qualifiers, with 15 efforts recorded across 29 appearances at major tournaments. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Miroslav Klose, Gerd Muller and Jurgen Klismann sit above him on the combined World Cup and European Championship goal chart.
Sutton said of that contribution not receiving the recognition that it deserves: “Anybody who has played either with or against him, raves about him. If people do not give him the credit he deserves, it may be because he's been England's main man for so long. People are sometimes there to chop you down.
“England players get judged on major tournaments and if they don't win it the criticism comes, with the high-profile captain usually first in that firing line. You can have rivalries, tribalism and social media, and there will be people who put the boot in, but you won't get anyone who has played the game to a reasonable level having any doubts about him. And I think most fair-minded supporters recognise what a player Harry Kane is.”
Sutton added: “He has never been blessed with great pace but the way his brain works is fantastic. He's not just a phenomenal goalscorer. He has the ability to drop deep to influence games, showing wonderful awareness, weight of passing, vision.”
GettyEngland fixtures: Next up for Kane & Three Lions
Kane sat out England’s latest fixture, a 3-0 friendly victory over Wales, with a minor ankle injury. He will be hoping to figure in a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on Tuesday, with Thomas Tuchel guiding the Three Lions towards a global gathering that will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
