2 years ago
England captain Harry Kane is only four goals away from equaling Wayne Rooney's goalscoring record, and he's ready to go above and beyond in this month's Nations League matches to take over the lead.
On the night Wayne Rooney shattered England's goalscoring record, Harry Kane was on the field.
On September 8, 2015, Rooney surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton as England's all-time greatest scorer with a late penalty at Wembley. That night has stayed with Kane because it demonstrated how special it is to have your name written in the history books, and it has propelled him ever since.
Kane also scored that night in a 2-0 win over Switzerland, his third international goal. Rooney went on to score three more goals in his England career, bringing his total to 53. Now, Kane, 28, has the opportunity to break that record in England's next four games, as he is tied with Charlton on 49 goals, and it is making history that motivates the Tottenham striker.
Kane, England's captain, is fascinated with records, and with potentially two more World Cups ahead of him, he might put his goal tally beyond of reach. "Of course, I think that would be a fantastic achievement," Kane remarked. I was fortunate enough to be on the field and score when Wayne fractured his leg.
"I could see how important it was to him and his family." I wasn't thinking that far ahead at the time. But to be where I am now, four goals behind Wayne and with plenty of games ahead of me this year, would be a fantastic achievement.
"You know you're doing anything meaningful when your name is Rooney, Gary Lineker, Charlton, and other players like that."
When Wayne Rooney beat Bobby Charlton's long-standing record, Harry Kane was on the field.
Kane wants to play every game and score every chance he gets, but two of England's Nations League games are being held behind closed doors. His family will not be in Hungary due to the crowd ban - despite the fact that almost 30,000 children will be let in - or at Molineux for next Saturday's match against Italy, as the Football Association has also imposed a stadium ban.
Kane acknowledges that he would love for them to be present when he writes his name into history. "Of course, when it comes to breaking records or achieving great things like that, you'd want for everything to go perfectly with thousands of fans, friends, and family present," he remarked.
Kane is only five goals away from equaling England's all-time goal total.
"Sometimes it works out that way, and you are fortunate to have had that experience. However, things don't always turn out the way you expect. But the first thing that comes to mind is winning the games."
Golf and the NFL are Kane's other passions, and he idolizes Tom Brady, but winning the World Cup remains the summit, even if he concedes there are other items on his bucket list. He'll start in Hungary, he'll very certainly start in Germany next Tuesday, and a four-day break before England's match against Italy on Saturday means he'll start all three.
Tammy Abraham is unlikely to be given an opportunity to start, no matter how excellent his form is. And the truth is that England's World Cup aspirations - and Kane's dream - are dependent on Captain Marvel's fitness.
"I believe the ideal career would be a World Cup, a Super Bowl, and possibly a Masters green jacket, if I'm lucky enough to do that as well," he continued. Football is always my first thought, and it is what has brought me to this point.
"I still like training and playing every game." There isn't a single player on the team who doesn't want to win the World Cup. It'll be my next chance to earn a trophy, so I'm definitely looking forward to it.
"The last two tournaments have been fantastic; we've come so close to making some true history that will be remembered forever." We'll have another chance to win a major trophy with our country at the end of the year, and I'm definitely looking forward to it. But there's still a lot of hard work to be done between now and then."
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