When Harry Kane says that the team is more important than the individual, there is absolutely no reason to question his sincerity.
None, whatsoever. But, understandably, he treasures individual achievements as much as the next sportsman or woman.
And as a thank you for the help of England team-mates and coaching staff, he handed out ‘broken’ gold records (as in music discs) to each one of them ahead of Friday night’s game in Malta.
At the centre of the discs was a ‘label’ with the words: HARRY KANE, RECORD BREAKER, ENGLAND’S ALL-TIME LEADING GOALSCORER, GREATEST HITS COLLECTION VOL. 1, 2015-2023.
The ‘label’ then detailed every one of his record-breaking goals. Below the disc - coloured gold and cracked (as in broken record) was a message of gratitude, which read: “This gift is a sign of my appreciation for the part you have played in assisting me to become England’s all-time goalscorer.”
Some serious thought had gone into a very nice gesture from the England captain - the sort of thought that goes into the customised boots he wears after setting new goalscoring marks.
The sort of thought that goes into putting one of his Golden Boots - rather than a fairy - on top of the family Christmas tree, as he did. And the sort of thought that goes into taking his Golden Boots on holiday and posting a photo of them sitting poolside, as he did.
And considering how he fought his way to the very top, why not trumpet your remarkable feats? Tottenham’s top scorer, England’s top scorer.
And any idea Kane will only be a footnote in footballing history if he never wins a trophy is utter nonsense. He will be remembered as a great, even if he stays at Spurs and wins nothing. And if he stays in the Premier League, the strong likelihood is that he will surpass Alan Shearer’s record of 260 goals.
(He will not surpass Jimmy Greaves’ 357 in the top flight but football was only invented in 1992, don’t forget.) Perhaps that would be a barrier if a move to Real Madrid became a firm offering.
It should not be. If Kane does not want to be separated from his family for long periods or does not want to uproot them, then a move to Spain is a no-goer. Fair enough. Family comes first.
But if Real come seriously knocking, it is a once-in-career opportunity. When Jude Bellingham signed last week, he became only the sixth English player to join Real Madrid.
Quite simply, it is the world’s most famous club, a truly iconic institution. Manchester United is of a similar ilk but reports now suggest they are unlikely to meet a valuation of £100million - that is if Daniel Levy would even countenance selling him to the Old Trafford club.
But Real Madrid has an even more mystical attraction than United. “I had goosebumps, my heart was close to stopping,” said Bellingham, referring to the moment his dad told him Real were interested.
And Bellingham is one cool customer. Imagine the captain of England, the country’s most prolific scorer, ripping it up in the Bernabeu? Not only that, he would be joining a team that is reshaping itself into one of the more exciting sides in Europe. Beside the veteran pairing of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, there is the young midfield trio of Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.
And, of course, in Vinicius Junior, Real have a future Ballon D’Or contender. Make no mistake, Real will not only be desperate to regain pole position in La Liga from Barcelona, they will be desperate to close the gap that was painfully evident in their Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester City.
After the hefty outlay on Bellingham - well over €100million - Real themselves might not want to spend a similar amount on Kane. But if they do, what a marvellous move it would be. The classiest of stages for the classiest of players.
