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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Darren Lewis

Harry Kane tops World Cup leaderboard despite not scoring a goal for England

Three games, nine goals a place in the knockout stages - but don’t forget Harry Kane though. The England captain won’t let you.

Yes, in a World Cup where Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo have all signed with strikes, it is strange not to see Kane’s name alongside them just yet.

It is even more remarkable that, in this ruthless romp here at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Tottenham’s coveted marksman didn’t get weighed in.

Normally he is the guy you'd read about first on the back page before you turn inside. Normally he is the guy who is trending on social media during and after games because of his devastating impact in front of goal.

He won’t admit it, of course, but he’d have seen all three games in this group as a great chance to boost his claims for a second World Cup Golden Boot. Especially with such a superb supporting Three Lions cast, squeezing the life out of lesser opposition as an England team should.

But check this: Kane’s three assists here against Wales mean he is the first England player to set up three goals at a single men's World Cup since David Beckham in 2002.

Check this out too: So far in this tournament, no other player has set up more goals.It is what makes Kane such a leader, such an influence on any game he takes part in and the first name on the team sheet.

He would actually have had four assists had Wales keeper Danny Ward not made himself big to deny Rashford in the ninth minute. Only fools now continue to deny Kane’s status as a killer in front of goal and a creator for team-mates with a cutting edge.

Harry Kane has gone from king of the goals to top assist maker at World Cup 2022 (Alex Pantling - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

There is still time too for him to get in on the Golden Boot party with England in this kind of form. Especially with Gareth Southgate so sensibly ending his night early so that Callum Wilson could enjoy some game time.

Senegal on Saturday won’t be easy. No team will want to face England going into the latter stages of this World Cup. If anything, Kane will be even more hungry to write his name into the history of the first Arab World Cup.

And with so many England stars playing themselves into red-hot form, just at the right time, Senegal could yet leave space for him to thrive as they try to stop menacing Marcus Rashford and the impish Phil Foden.

Kane has an aerial supply line from Luke Shaw and Kieran Trippier. He has the craft of Jude Bellingham in midfield and the guile of Foden who has surely made himself undroppable with his entertaining second-half performance.

Harry Kane was the Golden Boot winner in Russia four years ago, but has tinkered with his game since then (Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Yes, as the almost mandatory rider must go, it was indeed only a Wales team that has reached the end of a cycle. The brilliant Gareth Bale could not raise himself one last time. Nor Aaron Ramsey. Rob Page’s men couldn’t really land a serious blow to justify the hype and expectation.

You can only put in front of you, however. And England stepped up when they needed to at the Euros last year, beating the Czech, Germany, Ukraine and Denmark to reach the Final. Why can’t they do it again?

Kane will be itching to get involved. To lead from the front and remind people of what he does best. Saturday is shaping up to be a mouthwatering encounter.

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