MY ACCOUNT
Harry Kane wants to break Wayne Rooney’s England record as quickly as possible at the World Cup, though will not panic if he has to wait.
England start their campaign in Qatar against Iran on Monday, with Kane sitting on 51 goals for the Three Lions.
The Tottenham forward trails Rooney by just two, and having won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, Kane looks well-placed to become the record holder.
With England favourites to progress from Group B, which also includes the United States and Wales, Kane hopes to break the record swiftly, yet it is far from his priority.
“Hopefully as soon as possible, for sure, but again I spoke before the tournament, I know it’s there, I know people talk about it, but I like to focus on my game, do the best for the team,” Kane said in a press conference on Saturday.
“I know the team we have can create chances and I need to be ready for ones that come my way.
“Obviously, I was lucky enough to play with Wayne for England many times, he was a huge player, I looked up to him growing up, watched him in major tournaments.
“To be close to him is a real honour and hopefully I can do it as soon as possible. But if it’s not the case, it’s not something I’m going to panic about, I just focus game by game.”
Three of Kane’s six goals in Russia came from the penalty spot, while only one of his strikes was scored in the knockout stages.
Kane also took time to get going at Euro 2020, failing to score in the group stage, though he then netted four times in three knockout matches.
He has been in stellar form for Spurs this season, with only Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland scoring more goals of players in Europe’s top five leagues. The 29-year-old, however, has sole focus on England’s fortunes.
“It’d be a great thing to achieve, I was able to in 2018 and it helped the team reach the semi-finals,” Kane said of winning the Golden Boot. “I know if I win it this year then hopefully it means we’re doing well and going pretty far.
“As a striker I’ll be judged on goals, I know how that works, but most importantly it’s about giving my best for the team whether that’s scoring, assisting, defending. I’m ready to do what’s necessary to win.
“In terms of players, we are playing against the best in the world. [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, Neymar, the list goes on. We’ll have to wait and see.
“I try not to think about stuff like the Golden Boot, most important thing is trying to win the World Cup, that’s what our focus is on. It’s a difficult road ahead but we’re focused on that.”
