Tottenham's Harry Kane feels in best form since childhood days "when you scored 6 or 7 a game"
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Another game, another crucial goal — and yet more proof that Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world.
This time, his 94th-minute winner against Slovenia clinched England’s place at next summer’s World Cup .
It also ensured the Tottenham predator was one of the few Three Lions players who could leave Wembley with his head held high.
It is now 14 goals from 12 club and country games for Kane this season — even though he didn't net once in August. Eight from his last four matches for the man who just cannot stop scoring.
Big players respect him, clubs even bigger than Spurs covet him.
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At a time of widespread disillusionment over Gareth Southgate’s failure to unlock England’s potential, Kane remains in the most prolific form since he was turning out for his childhood team, Ridgeway Rovers, in north London.
Asked to recall the last time he felt so formidable in front of goal, he said: “Maybe when I was younger — when you scored six or seven a game! Probably not in my professional career.
“I feel great — physically great. Every game I expect to score and want to score. I just want to keep it going.
“September was fantastic for me personally. Hopefully October can be even better.
(Image: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty)
(Image: AFP)
(Image: AFP/Getty)
“That’s the great thing about it, to keep improving. We’ve got a busy month ahead of us again — let’s see what happens.”
Not since Wayne Rooney was in his pomp have England had such a potent weapon up front in the shape of the Premier League’s dual Golden Boot winner.
As England’s players left Wembley on Thursday, Gary Cahill sounded a note of caution, warning it would be dangerous for the team to rely solely on Kane’s goals.
“He’s been fantastic for us, but you don’t to go into a tournament with everything on Harry Kane,” said the Chelsea captain.
“We want him to be in fantastic form, but we want everyone to contribute. Going into the tournament, we want everyone to have the kind of confidence he’s showing at the minute.
“The fearless mentality. That’s the way he is at the minute.
“At this moment in time I see him being one of the best in the world in terms of form. He’s at a fantastic age and his finishing is unbelievable.”
Cahill played with Diego Costa, whose goals helped Chelsea to two titles in the last three seasons, and believes Kane is every bit as good as the Spain international.
“He must be gushing with confidence," he added. "He must feel like he’s going to score every time he takes the pitch. Not even one (goal), it’s like, ‘How many am I going to get today?!' He must have that kind of mentality.”
Kane, however, relishes the pressure of carrying the team on his shoulders.
(Image: Getty)
“It doesn’t really bother me,” he said. “We know what we want to achieve as a team, so for me it’s just about doing my job.
“No matter what anyone says or what you guys (the media) talk about, it doesn’t distract me from what I need to do – work hard for the team, work hard in training, work hard off the pitch and just get ready for every game that comes.
“Hopefully I can keep performing the way I am and keep improving.”
His place would appear to be nailed on given his success in proving that class is permanent.
But Kane is taking nothing for granted.
“Hopefully I can just continue what I’ve been doing over this last month or so,” he added. “That would be amazing.
“It will be hard not to think about the World Cup. But obviously there’s a lot of games between now and then and a lot can happen.
“I’ve just got to keep my head down for the team, working hard for club and country. It’s an exciting season.
“So from now, the World Cup has to be put to the back of my mind.
“There’s the Premier League to play for, the FA Cup and Champions League. That’s what is most important at the moment.”