At the moment, English football is more of a tragedy than a love story. Some would argue that this lush, welcoming land on the coast is the spiritual home of the world’s most popular sport.
But for England fans, rooting for their national team has become something of a test. Even when things are good, results can end up being bad, and two successive defeats in the European Championship final left Three Lions faithful wondering, “Why is it always about us?”
It’s not like England have been short on talent for many years. Some of the game’s greatest players have worn an England shirt: Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney. The only shame is that they weren’t born in the same era!
But the biggest thing? That’s a question already answered… Wake up, Sir Harry Kane.
At least that’s what the striker will be known for if he helps England win their first World Cup in 60 years. But whatever happens at this summer’s World Cup, or in future international competitions, Kane should already be considered England’s greatest ever export.
First, there are goals. No English player has scored more goals than the London-born shooter. It is true that today’s international footballers play more matches than previous generations of footballers, but 84 goals in 118 games is about the best. For example, Kane’s goals per game rate in an England shirt (1.4) is better than Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals rate (1.6).
By the time he retires as an international player, it’s hard to imagine his goalscoring record being broken anytime soon. Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has retired with two more caps than Kane’s 118 caps and is already 31 ahead of previous record holder Wayne Rooney.
Rooney cannot even sit at the same table as Kane when discussing his contribution in an England shirt. Outside of Euro 2004, Rooney’s England career was filled with disappointment after disappointment.
That is not the case with Kane, the striker has always performed on the biggest stage. He won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, scored four goals as England reached the Euro 2020 final, contributed five goals at the 2022 World Cup and scored a further three at Euro 2024.
Kane has already booked five spots for the 2026 World Cup and the former Spurs star looks to be in the best shape of his life. It would be unfair to say he has carried England so far this summer, because the weight of his contribution has been far more important. At the moment, he is our only hope of adding a second star to England’s shirt.
Inevitably, the immediate rebuttal to calling Kane England’s best ever player will be that he hasn’t won anything of note. This is true when discussing the nation’s best ever team as a collective, but when it comes to individuals, England’s No. 9 is in a class of his own.
