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Harry Kane stands 'by the side' of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, says Hugo Lloris
Harry Kane has set himself the target of emulating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring longevity after Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris said that he was now “by the side” of those two icons.
Kane broke both the Premier League calendar record for goals and moved clear of Messi for 2017 with his hat-trick against Southampton on Boxing Day, but is already aiming to repeat his form for the next decade. With Tottenham having not won a trophy since 2008, he has also stressed that silverware is the ultimate priority during his career.
“I think the club and country record is great because it shows I’m doing it on all levels, for England, and that’s important,” said Kane. “That’s one I’m very proud of when you look at names like Messi and Ronaldo. I’ve still got a long way to go before I can be compared to them, but it’s a start.
“Messi and Ronaldo have set that standard for so long. I want to be doing it year in, year out. Hopefully I can keep doing it for nine or 10 seasons in a row.” Kane was dismissed by some as a “one-season wonder” when he emerged in 2014-15 with 31 goals, but has followed that up with 28, 35 and now 24 already at the halfway stage of this season.
“It [the one-season wonder] is probably something that’s always in the back of my mind,” he said. “I’ve always said when people doubt me I always wanted to prove them wrong, from a young age until now. That’s my mindset. It’s been in me since a young age. It’s a funny song for the home fans to sing.
“I’ve always said team trophies is what I want to achieve. We’ve got the FA Cup. In the Champions League we’ve shown we can beat the best. In the Premier League, we’ve just got to fight for the top four. For me, it’s about winning trophies, that’s always the aim.”
Of the Messi and Ronaldo comparison, Lloris said: “With players like Messi and Ronaldo it’s difficult to catch them. But Harry is by the side of them and he is still young.
“He has his head on his shoulders and he has a lot of humility and that’s the key. I’ve never played with a striker capable of scoring so many goals in a year. I played with a lot of top strikers and probably he is the best.”