Wayne Rooney has backed Harry Kane to 'smash' his goal record for England and hopes that the Tottenham striker achieves the feat at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Kane goes into the 2022 winter tournament just two goals behind Rooney's all-time record for the Three Lions with 51, and knows he could overtake the former Manchester United striker.
The current England captain scored four goals at Euro 2020 as well at six at Russia 2018 in the World Cup whereas Rooney only ever scored one goal at World Cup. The former Manchester United striker has held the all-time England goalscoring record since passing Gary Lineker in 2015.
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Rooney's record when retiring for his country after the embarrassment of Euro 2016 was 53 goals in 120 games, Kane already has 51 in just 75 games and looks likely to bypass the record comfortably and has the opportunity to do so as Gareth Southgate's men kick off their tournament in 10 days time against Iran.
Speaking to talkSPORT the day after England's 26-man squad was announced for the tournament, Rooney said: "I'm delighted for him [Kane], I think he'll go and smash the record and end up on 70-odd goals if I'm being honest. He deserves it for the work he puts in.
"It's a huge honour to have the record but they're to be broken and I couldn't think of anyone better than Harry to go and take that record and hopefully he does it at the World Cup because it means he's doing well for England."
The record Kane will be gunning for after that will be Jimmy Greaves' all-time Tottenham goalscoring record, which he is currently seven behind, and then another record of Rooney's as the second all-time scorer in Premier League history will be chased down too.
Rooney ended on 208 goals, Kane currently has 194 thanks to a rapid start to the season in which he has scored 11 in 14 matches.
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