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England captain Harry Kane may not be too focused on individual records, but manager Gareth Southgate has backed the striker to surpass Wayne Rooney as his all-time top scorer.
Soccer Soccer – International Friendly – England v Republic of Ireland – Wembley Stadium, London, Great Britain – November 12, 2020 Harry Kane of England in the substitutes’ bench before the match Pool via REUTERS / Carl Recine
REUTERS: England captain Harry Kane may not be too focused on individual records, but manager Gareth Southgate has backed the forward to surpass Wayne Rooney as his all-time top scorer.
The 27-year-old Kane has scored 32 goals for England since his debut in 2015 and is on track to surpass Rooney, who retired from international service with 53 goals.
Kane can increase his account in his 50th appearance with England when he visits Belgium in the Nations League later on Sunday.
“In terms of what’s possible, the scoring record is the interesting one because his hitting rate for us is phenomenal and he has time on his side to chase Rooney’s record, which would be a remarkable feat,” Southgate told the journalists on Saturday.
“I know from his perspective, while personal achievement is something that he is driven towards, it is team achievement. He is so focused on the team succeeding and would want to look back over the next few years on the team achievements. “.
Belgian coach Roberto Martinez said he was not surprised by the rise of the Tottenham Hotspur forward.
“I think he’s a complete striker, but it’s a wonderful story to watch a young player develop – come out on loan, get different experiences at different clubs and become this iconic player for Spurs, for England,” Martinez said.
“He has evolved into one of the most clinical number nine in world football, and you have a very modern goal in Kane, someone who can help and play and has excellent finishing statistics.
“He has the potential to do it and I would say Rooney’s record is pretty clear, and it’s an impressive statistic, but Kane is in a position to do it.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Edited by William Mallard)
