Harry Kane has done it again.
The man who has become the bane of Arsenal’s existence
scored his seventh career league goal against the Gunners to win the North
London derby for Tottenham.
In what was a slow-burner of a game that came to life in
the second half, Kane once again proved that he will be the cornerstone of any
success that Tottenham and England will have, both now and in the future.
As much hype as he has been getting, and deservedly so, I
don’t think many people realize how historically great Kane has been up to this
point in his career.
Kane is currently 24 years old and, as of this article,
has scored 115 career league goals in 195 matches, with 101 of them coming in a
major league (which will be defined as one of the following: La Liga, the
Bundesliga, the Premier League, or the Serie A).
Here are how some of the finest marksmen of recent years
stacked up through their respective age-24 seasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 196 matches, 84 goals, 81 major-league
goals.
Zlatan Ibrahimović: 184 matches, 74 goals, 23
major-league goals.
Robert Lewandowski: 215 matches, 122 goals, 54
major-league goals.
Neymar: 195 matches, 109 goals, 55 major-league goals.
Keeping in mind that the current season isn’t over yet,
at his current goal-scoring pace, Kane finds himself in elite company.
What may be equally impressive is the burden which Kane
has had to shoulder.
From the beginning of the 2014-15 season up to the writing
of this article, Kane has accounted for just under 35% of all goals scored by
Tottenham in all competitions.
Kane already has two Premier League Golden Boots under
his belt, and currently leads the race for an even more prestigious honour: the
European Golden Shoe. He is ahead of names such as Edinson Cavani, Lionel
Messi, Neymar, and Lewandowski.
It is evident that Kane, barring future adverse
circumstances, is not only a superstar, but on his way to becoming the next
English football legend.
That brings me to my next point: if Harry Kane continues
dominating the way he has so far, there is a real possibility that the
once-unthinkable could happen.
England may actually have a genuine chance to win the
2022 World Cup.
In 23 appearances for England, Kane has already scored 12
goals, including seven in his last six matches.
It’s not as if he has spent his England career beating up
on minnows, either – he has scored goals against Switzerland, Germany, and
France.
If Kane carries his present form into the World Cup in
June, it is possible that England may make a deep run.
Other than Kane, the likes of Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling,
Eric Dier, Ross Barkley, and John Stones, just to name a few, will be in their
primes when Qatar 2022 comes around.
England have their superstar for the present and the
future to build around, and they have a young supporting cast who have already
achieved much at club level.
The coming World Cup in Russia is far too soon for
England to contend for the title, but if Kane and the rest of the crew develop
the way they are currently looking like doing, the Three Lions might very well
lift the World Cup trophy four years from now.
The last player that Tottenham Hotspur had on their
roster of this level was Gareth Bale. Coincidentally, Kane has been linked with
Real Madrid, Bale’s current club.
However, if Tottenham are to move to the next level and
challenge for Premier League, and maybe even Champions League titles, the most
important thing they can do is get Kane to commit his future to Tottenham.
Players of Kane’s calibre can destroy a club by leaving.
However, if he stays, it could be the catalyst for an era of success which
Tottenham Hotspur have not enjoyed since their 1960s glory days, when they won
five trophies in seven seasons.
However, whether he stays or leaves, one thing is
certain: Harry Kane is a marksman of the highest order.
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