Gareth Southgate believes Harry Kane can become England’s all-time leading goalscorer, as his captain edges closer to his 50th cap for his country.
Kane could be become the 62nd player to reach the milestone for the Three Lions if he features against Belgium on Sunday in the UEFA Nations League, following on from defender Kyle Walker who achieved the feat in the last international window.
The striker has netted a remarkable 32 goals – 21 short of Wayne Rooney’s record – in his 49 games so far and, at just 27, Southgate believes Kane has every chance of overtaking Rooney as England’s leading scorer of all time.
“In terms of what’s possible, I think the goalscoring record is the really interesting one,” Southgate told the media ahead of Sunday’s crucial game.
“His strike rate for us is phenomenal and he’s got time on his side to chase Wayne’s record, which would be a remarkable feat in itself.
“When you look at Sir Bobby [Charlton], Gary Lineker and Wayne, if Harry can get into that sort of list, then it would be a fantastic personal achievement.
“But I know from his perspective, while the personal achievement is something he’s driven towards he’s all about the team winning now.
“He’s been to a World Cup and won the golden boot, but he’s totally focused on the team having success.
“He will want to look back on the team having achieved, as well as getting some of those personal milestones.”
When looking back on the goals that stand out from his time working with the Tottenham Hotspur striker, Southgate remembers the moment he found out Kane had netted his first goal for the Three Lions.
“The first thing that springs to mind is his first goal for England, and that was with Roy [Hodgson]," he explained.
“We were with the Under-21s at the time, so we were looking at how he got on because we’re always interested when players step up.
“We were in a hotel and I remember hearing he’d scored his first goal. That was a brilliant moment for all of us.
“The equaliser at Hampden also sticks in my mind. It was a very important goal for us at a critical moment.
“And then his goals at the World Cup. To win the Golden Boot is an incredible personal achievement.
“There have been so many but (reaching 50 caps) is a special moment for him. We’ve had three or four players get to that milestone in the last year or so and for all of them it’s a fantastic achievement.”
