When Kane motored towards the corner flag in celebration, the announcers quickly proclaimed the 21-year-old as England’s new hero. At such a young age, yet alone a vital period in Kane’s development, the striker was awarded a significant title that many of the best English players to kick a football failed to meet.
Nonetheless it was a special week for Kane. Along with notching his first senior international goal, Kane recorded his first hat trick, and moved joint leader with Diego Costa in the Golden Boot race, with his 29th goal in all competitions for Spurs. Kane’s within touching distance of being the first Spurs player since Gary Lineker (1991/1992) to score 30 goals for the club, and is set to start against Italy in a high-profile international friendly.
The 21-year-old is on cloud nine.
In a time where scoring goals is arguably the most difficult task in the sport, Kane can do no wrong. The aura that shadows his every move is authoritative, and it leaves one to believe that he’s capable of anything. His goal tally is reminiscent of a player lodged into his peak years, and to think that he started his first league match in November is mind-boggling.
Kane is defying odds with every passing week, and it seems appropriate to await another achievement to be conquered. So eager, so promising, everything that young Harry has ever wished for as a young boy growing up in Chingford is rapidly coming his way.
But the road to stardom shouldn’t be this easy. Frankly, it never is — yet a young man so determined to prove his worth to his peers and doubters heads into Tuesday’s tilt against Italy as the new poster boy of English football with approximately 20 minutes experience to his name.
Although Kane’s standout campaign is a miraculous story that one would expect to encounter in a modern day fairy-tale, this could be a case of being wedged in the moment. Kane’s majestic form has put the Premier League, and most importantly his nation on notice, but the pressure and high expectations attached to an England call-up is daunting — some would say soul churning.
But although Kane’s rise to prominence over the past five months has been refreshing, this could be another case of prematurely deeming another national hero. It was only 12 months ago, where Andros Townsend and Ross Barkley were projected to be “the new face” of English football. Both players enjoyed periods of brilliance last season, but have failed to replicate the sparkling form that took the league by storm. Surely, both are still regular starters for their club sides but their form has vastly decreased, failing to exceed the high standards initially set by supporters and the media.
Perhaps Kane’s situation is slightly different. He currently sits in a prestigious class amongst two world class strikers — two of the very best in the business. Likewise, he doesn’t possess the creative support that Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero have at their disposal. The luxury of having the magisterial talents of David Silva, Samir Nasri, Eden Hazard or Cesc Fabregas is non-existent at White Hart Lane, and in reality, the contrast in quality is vast.
In ways the sole dependence on Christian Eriksen’s creativity puts Kane at a disadvantage, but with no other legitimate goal-scorers in the squad, the England international has relished in a ‘big fish in a small pond’ environment. Roberto Soldado has failed to adapt to a Spurs side that creates minimal chances, whereas Emmanuel Adebayor’s off-field issues thwarted the Togolese striker’s first-team status at the club.
But what does Kane offer?
He’s undoubtedly a natural goalscorer, capable of punishing opponents via free kicks, and is frequently in the right place to poach goals. Yet, in reality, though, it’s difficult to identify a particular facet of the game that the English striker excels at. Where Costa powerfully works the channels at Stamford Bridge, Aguero’s tremendous acceleration and ability to use both feet enables the Argentine to flourish, despite equally being quite limited.
However, Kane is different. Perhaps everything he touches at the moment turns to gold.
Last weekend against Leicester, Kane displayed his willingness to drop deeper to partake in Spurs’ build up play, whilst drifting away from a three man centre-back partnership. The 21-year-old also exploited Chelsea’s sluggish defence in Spurs’ New Years Day victory over the Blues with powerful runs from deep areas, yet his dribbling isn’t outstanding. More so, Kane’s goals against relegation battling Leicester epitomized his poaching ability. He tapped in an Eric Dier flick on to open the scoring, met Kyle Walker’s pullback pass to direct his shot off Robert Huth for the second, and converted a second half penalty to complete the hat trick.
“If you see the English strikers, Harry is on the top,” said Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino. “It was his first hat-trick in the Premier League, so I’m very pleased for him. It’s true he’s in a very good moment in his career.”
At the moment, Kane’s goals have to be assessed with caution. However, like the aforementioned English players — Barkley and Townsend – overblown conclusions based on performances within a transient period have led to current disappointment. Surely Kane’s goals can’t be ignored, but the real test will come next season. First, a spot in the Euro 2016 squad will hang in the balance, and he’ll need to maintain this standard to earn a spot ahead of Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge. But more importantly, teams will receive more time to stifle the striker and nullify his all-round threat in the final third.
We’ve been down this road before, and while the glory days will see Kane’s hype increase, it’s the next hurdle where most stumble. We’ll learn more about the 21-year-old golden boy when expectations reach inconceivable standards, with the onus on being the saviour of a nation and a team not equipped to achieve projected targets becomes unbearable.
A season that looks destined to result in a PFA Player or Young Player of the Year award is only the beginning, and it’s the England international’s responsibility to prolong this fairytale run. The cameras, media, and spotlight will follow the man capable of melting any young girl’s heart with a cunning smile, but he must maintain the work ethic and determination that has been associated with his swift progression.
His ruthlessness in front of goal has punished some of the best teams in the country, but dubbing him a superstar at this moment is a risk that could once again backfire. Life is coming at the 21-year-old fast, but it’s time to enjoy the goals, and allow Kane to become the prolific striker that many expect him to transition into.
Still, for all of Kane’s accomplishments to date, he must consistently produce goals at the highest level. For now, Kane’s greatest weapon is poaching goals, and considering the limited creative and goal-scoring options at White Hart Lane, the 21-year-old has successfully kept Spurs in the hunt for Champions League football.
Kane’s road to greatness sits comfortably in his hands, and we should all enjoy the ride opposed to prematurely dubbing the striker as world football’s next big superstar.
