Why international tournaments are damaging for Tottenham’s Kane

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is a phenomenal footballer, and yet his legacy is at risk based on illogical thinking.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane is one of the hottest strikers in world football right now, and yet, there is a very real threat of international tournaments derailing his long-term legacy in the game.

The Englishman has led the way in the Premier League once again this season, with 22 goals to his name before we’ve even reached the midway point of February. His work ethic, strength and finishing are three of the many attributes that lead many fans to believe he’ll be a force to be reckoned with well into his thirties.

However, something that always seems to be taken into consideration when you talk about legacies is performances in international tournaments. Two shining examples of that are Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi, both of whom have found great domestic success only for their international form to hinder the opinions of fans around the world.

That may seem fair to some people given that these competitions all play a big role in the sporting calendar, but when it comes to Harry Kane, you really do need to take it with a pinch of salt.

The Tottenham forward is well on his way to breaking Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record, mainly because he’s able to consistently provide the goods in front of goal across a 38-game season. That is a staggering achievement for a team that rarely challenge for the title, and are considered to be perennial underachievers.

After such a gruelling campaign that lasts the better part of nine months, expecting him to walk straight into an England setup that he isn’t nearly as familiar with and continue that kind of form is bordering on ludicrous.

Of course, other nations have to deal with the same kind of scrutiny, but former England players like Rio Ferdinand have confirmed that the egos at play when you’re on international duty are always going to play a big role.

Perhaps you can blame the English as a whole for being so stubborn, but at the end of the day, 90 per cent of Kane’s work throughout his career will come in the form of league-based competition. If he manages to do something great with England then that is a great bonus, but just look at the kind of system he has been played in – taking corners and free kicks?