Harry Kane should take once-in-career opportunity after latest England milestone
Harry Kane scored his 56th international goal as England beat Malta on Friday but that hasn’t stopped talks about his club future as Real Madrid are interested
When Harry Kane says that the team is more important than the individual, there is absolutely no reason to question his sincerity.
None at all. But understandably, he values individual achievement as much as he values the next athlete.
And to thank his England team-mates and coaching staff for their help, he presented each and every one of them with ‘broken’ gold discs (like music records) ahead of Friday night’s game in Malta.
In the middle of the CDs was a ‘label’ reading: HARRY KANE, RECORD BREAKER, ENGLAND’S GREATEST GOAL APRON, GREATEST HITS COLLECTION VOL. 1, 2015-2023.
The “Label” then explained in detail each of his record-breaking goals. Beneath the gold-colored and cracked disc (like a broken vinyl record) was a thank you note which read: “This gift is a token of my appreciation for the role you played in helping me become England’s all-time top scorer become.”
Serious thought had gone into a very kind gesture from the England captain – the kind of thought that goes into the bespoke football boots he wears after scoring new goals.
The thought behind putting one of his golden boots – rather than a fairy – on the family Christmas tree, as he did. And the kind of thought that makes him take his Golden Boots on vacation and post a photo of them sitting by the pool like he did.
And considering how he fought his way to the top, why not applaud your remarkable achievements? Tottenham’s top scorer, England’s top scorer.
And any notion that Kane will only be a footnote in football history if he never wins a trophy is utter nonsense. He will be remembered as great even if he stays with Spurs and doesn’t win anything. And if he stays in the Premier League, there’s a good chance he’ll surpass Alan Shearer’s record 260 goals.
(He won’t top Jimmy Greaves’ 357 in the top flight, but don’t forget that football wasn’t invented until 1992.) Perhaps that would be an obstacle if a move to Real Madrid became a permanent offer.
It should not be. Unless Kane wants to be away from his family for a long time or uproot them, moving to Spain is taboo. Fair enough. family comes first.
But if Real seriously knocks, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity. When Jude Bellingham signed last week, he became just the sixth England player to join Real Madrid.
Quite simply: it is the most famous club in the world, a truly iconic institution. Manchester United are a similar blow but they are reportedly unlikely to reach a valuation of £100m – assuming Daniel Levy would even agree to sell him to the Old Trafford club.
But Real Madrid have an even more mystical appeal than United. “I had goosebumps, my heart was about to stop,” Bellingham said, referring to the moment his father told him Real were interested.
And Bellingham is a great customer. Imagine the England captain, the country’s top scorer, scoring a goal at the Bernabeu? In addition, he would join a team that is shaping up to be one of the most exciting squads in Europe. In addition to the experienced duo of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, there is the young midfield trio of Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.
And, of course, Real Madrid have a future Ballon D’Or contender in Vinicius Junior. Make no mistake: Real will not only be desperate to reclaim La Liga top spot from Barcelona, but also desperate to close the gap that was sorely exposed in the Champions League semi-final defeat by Manchester City.
After spending heavily on Bellingham – well over €100m – Real Madrid themselves might not want to spend a similar amount on Kane. But if they did, it would be a wonderful move. The noblest stage for the noblest players.