When Harry Kane netted goal number 54 against Italy last Friday, the congratulations outpoured from England’s great such as Shearer, Lineker, and the man he overtook – Wayne Rooney. Of course, the story with Harry Kane will always be the fact he has never won a trophy. Without a trophy, can Kane ever be considered a great of the game?
In a matter of two months, Kane has become eternal at his respective club and country. In February, he surpassed Jimmy Greaves to become Tottenham’s greatest ever goal-scorer, and a month later the England record came. Undoubtedly, this is a proud moment for any footballer. Breaking records of this magnitude is a glorious moment irrelevant on trophies, and undoubtedly cements him in history for both club and country.
Those who are not particularly affiliated with Kane will discuss his legacy and will ultimately point towards one flaw of the career of the recent record-breaker – no trophies, no legacy. The general consensus in the game is that if you are an elite footballer and never won a trophy, that is a failure of a career.
In Harry Kane’s case, he must unquestionably be frustrated with the current situation at Tottenham Hotspur. The team is nowhere near winning a trophy and failed miserably in all three competitions outside of the Premier League this season. Spurs will likely not be able to produce Kane a trophy greater than the two domestic trophies in England.
Tottenham and Kane had their best opportunity under Mauricio Pochettino, where they fell short of the league title in two consecutive years and lost the Champions League final in 2019 to Liverpool. Since that moment, Tottenham have looked extremely unlikely to win a trophy with the lack of spending power in comparison to the closest rivals, and the takeovers of Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United. One thing is certain, if Kane wants the top club trophies, he has to move. Could he seek a move to Manchester this summer?
In terms of international trophies, that opportunity comes at a minimised rate. A chance for a trophy comes every two years, and the probable likelihood with England for winning is pretty small considering that has only come once in the country’s history. Kane came close in both 2018 and 2021 for the World Cup and Euros, but ultimately England did not deliver.
Harry Kane has two more chances with England before he probably enters his best-before date. At the 2026 world cup, he will be 33 and may start to see his game decline. Undoubtedly, an international trophy will earn him an unforgettable legacy in terms of how he will be viewed. Instantly, he will be only the second man to lift a trophy for England, and that image will be remembered through history similarly to Bobby Moore in ’66.
Harry Kane will do all he needs individually. He will break the goal-scoring records and will be remembered as one of the greats. That Alan Shearer Premier League record looked near unbeatable until the Spurs striker began to hit 20-per-season with ease.
He will not want that footnote which will always be used against him that he never won the elite prizes. A Carabao Cup or an FA Cup does not earn him the respect he deserves, but an international trophy or a Premier League or Champions League will give his career the prize it deserves. To demine his achievements and numbers based on not earning trophies in a team sport is harsh, and the club he plays at particularly is a handicap.
In conclusion, Harry Kane does not need trophies, but he will certainly be desperate. His numbers show an elite striker, one of the best in this era. When he is compared to Karim Benzema, Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski he will want to be remembered for winning trophies along with his goals, however.
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