Kane reworks England's record books
Harry Kane recorded several England milestones against Panama
Nobody would have dared challenge him for the match ball
Kane expressed his pride at his and England’s performances
By Laure James with England
What an afternoon it was for Harry Kane. The 24-year-old became the second England player to score in his first two FIFA World Cup™ appearances and the third to hit a hat-trick in the competition after Geoff Hurst and Gary Lineker.
Kane moved on to five goals from two games – the same total that pocketed Thomas Muller the adidas Golden Boot at South Africa 2010 – and leapfrogged Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for that same award at Russia 2018. And, most importantly, he helped England thump Panama 6-1 for their biggest victory in World Cup history and go top of Group G. Kane nonetheless remained habitually modest.
“Obviously it’s been going well so far,” said the Budweiser Man of the Match. “There’s still a long way to go.
“The most important thing is winning games, and if my goals help my team win then that’s the perfect situation. There are a lot of good players just behind me. Hopefully I can just continue and take it into Thursday’s game.”
Writing his name into England’s history books, however, is a source of pride for the Walthamstow native. He came into the press conference clutching the match ball, in honour of his treble.
“It’s one to be proud of,” he said of the adidas Telstar 18. “Not many players score a hat-trick in the World Cup, so I’m extremely proud of that.
“We’re extremely proud of each other really. The way we played, the discipline, the hard work. We had fun out there as well, which is important.
“It could have been a tough game but we started well. We’ve been working hard at set-pieces, and it’s nice to see them coming together. It’s not every time you go through after two games, so we’re happy with that.”
Kane was billed as having all the ingredients to become England’s hero before they departed for Russia: leadership, big-game experience, a keen eye for a goal and the drive to be the best. Now these characteristics truly look to be coming together.
His pursuit of the adidas Golden Boot, whether his modesty will allow him to admit it or not, is becoming more realistic with each game.
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