Tottenham striker Harry Kane is currently joint-third in the list of Premier League top goalscorers this season, and stands an honest chance of sitting at the summit of the scoring charts come May. Top scorer Diego Costa (Chelsea) is four goals ahead of the England international, but Kane’s consistency in front of goal could well see a battle between the two until the end. It’s been 15 years since an English player last won the Premier League Golden Boot award, so could it be Kane?
The 21-year-old has been in superb form for the Londoners this season. His goal-getting in the Europa League forced manager Mauricio Pochettino to included him in their Premier League squad earlier in the campaign, and he took little time to prove his worth after being given his chance. Kane’s form has seen Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado both relegated to the substitutes’ bench for Spurs, and the 21-year-old hasn’t looked back.
He’s scored some incredible finishes against elite clubs in the league already this season, with a brace in the 2-1 win against fierce rivals Arsenal, as well as a fantastic goal in the 5-3 win against Chelsea. Kane is proving very quickly that he’s no flash in the pan, and England manager Roy Hodgson has admitted the Tottenham striker has done more than enough to earn a place in his squad for the Three Lions’ next batch of internationals.
23 goals in 35 games in all competitions has seen Kane’s stock rise considerably in the last few months, and has 13 more games to add to his tally. Kevin Phillips (Sunderland) was the last Englishman to win the Premier League Golden Boot, with the prolific striker scoring 30 goals in 36 games in 1999/2000. Since then, France (Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka) and the Netherlands (Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Robin Van Persie) have dominated the scoring charts. English players have threatened at times, with Wayne Rooney having been a runner-up in the past, but the Premier League is dominated by prolific foreign forwards.
But with Kane within touching distance of his competition, while enjoying the best form of his career, there’s a growing confidence that he will continue to deliver in front of goal. The Tottenham man is more than just a goalscorer. He’s comfortable on the ball, boasts an intimidating physique, and is very industrious. All the hallmarks of a traditional English player, but Kane too has the finesse that many continental forwards would be jealous of.
But can Harry Kane finally end the wait for an English Premier League Golden Boot winner?
