Harry Kane breaks goalscoring records like philatelists collect stamps – and this season a crown jewel in Tottenham Hotspur's history is within his reach.
Although the England captain admits his long-term target is to surpass Alan Shearer in the Premier League's all-time scoring charts, closer to home he is bearing down on the blue riband measurement of greatness at Spurs. Kane's goals in the 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday put him level with Andy Cole on 187 in the top flight since Richard Keys and Andy Gray invented football in 1992, leaving only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) ahead of him.
But on White Hart Lane, there is a growing sense of inevitability that Kane will surpass a milestone synonymous with Tottenham's golden age: a record which transcends nerds, number-crunchers and trainspotters. For more than half a century, Jimmy Greaves' record of 266 goals for Spurs has stood proud like the cockerel on the club badge.
All of a sudden, Kane is only 14 behind English football's greatest finisher.
He may not win the Golden Boot this season if Erling Haaland maintains his devastating start for Manchester City, but Kane could conceivably break Greaves' record before he goes to the World Cup.
His Royal Harryness was annoyed to miss a penalty at Forest – beaten away by England team-mate Dean Henderson under his peaked cap – but in a season where Shearer and Cole's joint record 34 goals in a Premier League season looks likely to fall, Kane will be in the hunt. He surpassed 200 league goals in his career at the City Ground on Sunday as Spurs maintained their unbeaten start before admitting he was keen to chase down Shearer and Rooney in the pantheon.
Kane, 29, said: "It's still a long way away, for sure, but I still feel fit, I feel I have many more years left in the locker. Every season I want to score goals, I want to be amongst those names, and I'm excited for the challenge.
"Alan and Wayne are two of the best strikers England have ever had, so even to be in that category is nice for me. But I want to keep pushing myself, see how far I can go. So far, it's been a good start to the season."
Kane has already won the Golden Boot three times – only Arsenal legend Thierry Henry (four) has won more – but in many respects, going past Greaves' record could be the most meaningful stat of all. If that one is eclipsed, it means Tottenham are likely to be top-four material again... and possibly title contenders.
Ten points from the first four games represents Spurs' best start in 13 years and Kane said: “We've got a fantastic manager, a really strong squad and we're going to need them all because there are a lot of games coming up before the international break. It's important that players who haven't started a lot of games yet are ready for their opportunity when it comes, but we have started well.”
While Kane has begun the season with four goals in as many games, strike partner Heung-min Son has looked a shadow of the player who scored 10 goals in the last nine games to earn a share of the Golden Boot with Mo Salah three months ago.
Son has yet to get off the mark, and could even be replaced by Richarlison against West Ham on Wednesday night, but manager Antonio Conte is backing the Korean to find his feet. Conte said: "Sonny is a really sensible player and a top man, a really good guy. I have to find a husband for my daughter I'd like it to be a person like him!
“You know very well the importance of this player with Harry Kane, and for sure he's a bit disappointed that he's not scoring, but no problem - for me, Sonny will always be a nut in my team, in my ambition of football."
Meanwhile, in the blizzard of Premier League goals, for shell-shocked Bournemouth fans a hideous anomaly unfolded at the weekend. If the Cherries had been promised that neither Haaland nor Salah would score against them in consecutive away games, they would have been encouraged to believe they would not be overwhelmed.
But they lost 4-0 at the Etihad and 9-0 at Anfield.
