Kane’s shot at glory lies with England: Neil Humphreys
Skipper has better chance of winning a major trophy with country than with club now
At least Harry Kane won't see the statue.
When he arrives for England's World Cup qualifier in Hungary tomorrow morning (Singapore time), he'll avoid the glorious tribute to the Three Lions' finest captain.
Kane won't catch a glimpse of Bobby Moore outside Wembley Stadium. He won't see a probable club career laid out before him.
Moore was a superior footballer saddled with an inferior club. He was always greater than the sum of West Ham United's erratic parts and he knew it, along with everyone else connected with the club.
He relied on his country to provide a stage worthy of his stature and the Three Lions delivered. Moore lifted the World Cup, as captain, in 1966.
History needs to repeat itself if Kane wants a similar reciprocal agreement between talent and trophies.
As the transfer window closed yesterday morning, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy proved to be a man of his word. He'd demanded £150 million (S$277.6m) for his striker. Manchester City had offered £127m. Levy was unmoved. So Kane didn't move.
In a public relations turnaround so abrupt it's a wonder Kane didn't suffer whiplash injuries, the striker awkwardly expressed his gratitude at the prospect of remaining at a club that he's clearly outgrown.
The 28-year-old finds himself stuck in a trophy-less rut, unable to influence his career beyond adding to a vast fortune that he wouldn't be able to spend in five lifetimes.
Even his phenomenal goal statistics may end up sounding a tad hollow.
He'll remember the 223 times he has already scored for Spurs, but he'll hear Romelu Lukaku's words. On returning to Chelsea, the striker remarked: "Scoring goals is beautiful but winning trophies sets you apart."
The 1966 World Cup set Moore apart, earning him that Wembley statue. As a trophy-winning England skipper, he's an army of one.
CHASTENING EXPERIENCE
Kane almost joined him in July. The Three Lions' defeat in the Euro 2020 final was a chastening experience for all concerned, but particularly the skipper. He will be 29 next July. His window of opportunity shrinks with every near miss.
Unless City are determined to prove that they have more money than sense and end up paying £150m for a striker closer to retirement than his prime next year, Kane must accept that it isn't coming home at club level.
Only England offers a path to the pantheon.
Momentum is certainly with him. A semi-final at Russia 2018, a final at Euro 2020 and maximum points from their first three World Cup qualifiers suggest the Three Lions could peak at Qatar 2022.
As the elder statesman, Kane will be lavishly spoiled. Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho will all serve their captain.
Sterling, Mount and Grealish are likely to feature against Hungary in Budapest, where Kane could add to his goal tally for England.
Much will depend on which Kane shows up at the Puskas Arena. There's the unstoppable Kane at Spurs, when he's flying with Son Heung-min and the isolated Kane for England, when Gareth Southgate's conservatism doesn't play to his strengths.
Hopefully, there's no room for the distracted Kane, the one still dreaming of a lost bounty with City.
But he should remember that statue. He'll see it on Sunday, when England host Andorra at Wembley. Moore stayed loyal to his smallish boyhood club, just like Kane, but Moore still hit the jackpot with his country.
In fact, Moore won silverware with the Hammers, too, lifting the FA Cup (1964), the Cup Winners' Cup (1965) and the World Cup (1966) in consecutive years.
Kane has nothing. And he's not getting a statue with England either, unless he emulates Moore at the World Cup.
It feels almost cruel.
The wonderful striker's legacy should be something more than an empty trophy cabinet.
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