Harry Kane overtook Alan Shearer on England’s all-time scoring list as his hat-trick moved him onto 31 goals and, the way he is playing, do not bet against him making strides towards Michael Owen’s total of 40 in Kosovo on Sunday.
Last night’s 19-minute treble took Kane to 11 goals in his last nine internationals and continued a curious spell in his career, when he seems both beyond reproach yet susceptible to questions about his enduring place among the game’s finest strikers.
Kane remains a leader for club and country, scoring 19 goals in 20 games this season. Dig deep into his statistics, however, and he is shooting less and from less promising positions than in 2017, when he finished the calendar year with more goals than anyone in Europe.
The suggestion is Kane has lost his edge after a series of ankle injuries and too much football but last night it was tempting to wonder if Kane’s dip is down to Spurs’ decline, rather than his own.
Even considering the quality of opposition and it was embarrassingly easy against Montenegro — Kane has looked sharper and hungrier in an England shirt of late.
Dele Alli, Kane’s principle foil at Spurs, cannot even get in Gareth Southgate’s squad, while Mauricio Pochettino’s side have struggled to transition the ball forward from midfield for the past 18 months — something Southgate’s England are increasingly excelling in.
Raheem Sterling would walk into Spurs’ team, while Kane would love to have the service delivered by full-backs Ben Chilwell and Trent Alexander-Arnold at club level.
Firm conclusions can only truly be reached against better opposition but, for now, Kane’s performances for club and country may simply be highlighting the scale of the problems at Spurs.
Certainly, Tammy Abraham, who has scored double Kane’s five League goals in 11 matches for Chelsea, believes he is not about to leapfrog him for England.
“He sets the standard,” said Abraham. “It’s a dream to be on the same pitch as him. Every day, I learn off him. Even in training, you see his professionalism.”
