Kane will not fret over breaking Rooney’s England record
Harry Kane wants to break Wayne Rooney’s England record as quickly as possible at the World Cup, although he won’t freak out if he has to wait.
England begins their campaign in Qatar against Iran on Monday, with Kane sitting on 51 goals for the Three Lions.
The Tottenham striker is just two behind Rooney and has won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, Kane looks well positioned to become the record holder.
With England favorites to progress from Group B, which also includes the United States and Wales, Kane hopes to break the record quickly, but it is far from his priority.
“Hopefully as soon as possible, 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 what’s best for the team,” Kane said at a conference in the press on Saturday.
“I know that the team we have can create opportunities and I need to be ready for the ones that come my way.
“Obviously I was lucky enough to play with Wayne for England many times, he was a great player, I looked up to him growing up, and I saw him at major tournaments.
“Being around him is a real honor and I hope I can do it as soon as possible. But if it’s not the case, it’s not something that scares me, I just focus game by game.”
Three of Kane’s six goals in Russia came from the penalty spot, while only one of his goals came in the round of 16.
Kane also took time to get going at Euro 2020, failing to score in the group stage, though he did net four times in three knockout matches afterward.
He has been in stellar form for Spurs this season, with only Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland scoring more goals than players in Europe’s top five leagues.
The 29-year-old, however, is focused solely on England’s luck.
“It would be a great thing to do, I was able to do it in 2018 and it helped the team get to the semi-finals,” Kane said of winning the Golden Boot. “I know if I win it this year, I hope it means we’re doing well and going pretty far”.
“As a striker, I will be judged by the goals, I know how that works, but the most important thing is to give my best for the team, be it scoring, assisting, or defending. I am ready to do whatever it takes 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 things like the Golden Boot, the most important thing is trying to win the World Cup, that’s what our focus is. It’s a tough road ahead, but we’re focused on that.
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