Harry Kane is Europe's best striker right now, says Wayne Rooney

Posted Wednesday, February 07, 2018 by squawka.com

Wayne Rooney believes Tottenham Hotspur marksman Harry Kane is currently the best striker in Europe.

The 24-year-old is enjoying a prolific season, already netting 35 goals in 36 appearances for both club and country.

As a consequence of this meteoric rise, a number of teams are reportedly keeping close tabs on him.

Rooney feels Kane – who became the second-fastest Premier League player to reach 100 goals on Sunday – is not only the Three Lions' main man, but is also destined for greatness now he has become Europe's premier centre-forward.

"At the moment he is probably the best striker in Europe," Rooney told Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"He can go where he wants to. He's that good. He is like a young Alan Shearer. He scores all different types of goals.

"I played with him a few times for England and his mentality is that it hurts when you don't win. You can't say that about all the players.

"He really wants to win, he wants to score goals and he wants to improve. He is the natural leader now in that England team.

"If they are going to name a captain, he is the one who really has to wear the armband because he is the leader.

"If England are going to do well this summer, it's going to be on how well he does."

Rooney also added that though he remains in awe of Kane's skill and talent; he stressed that players will only be lodged in football folklore if they lift major trophies – not just individual honours.

Though the 24-year-old has won two successive Golden Boot awards in a row – awarded to the Premier League's top-scorer – he has yet to lift any silverware with the Lilywhites.

"The goals are great, and they take you to a certain level, but the top players are remembered for the trophies they have won," warned Rooney.

"If Harry Kane was in Man City's team this season, people would be talking about Ronaldo, Messi and Harry Kane."

In numbers: Harry Kane's Spurs career so far

Kane, a graduate of Spurs' academy, recently became only the fourth player in league history – after Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Thierry Henry – to notch 20 goals in three consecutive Premier League campaigns.

The striker's 100th Premier League goal came through a spot-kick against Liverpool on Sunday in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

And the aforementioned Shearer is the only player in league history to net a century of goals faster than him. It took the Newcastle United legend 124 matches while Kane achieved the feat in 17 more games.

Additionally, Shearer holds the record for most hat-tricks scored in the Premier League with 11. Kane currently has already scored eight hat-tricks at just 24 years of age.

Now on 130 goals for Spurs, Kane sits ninth in the club's all-time top 10 scorers, which is headed by the legendary Jimmy Greaves (with 266 goals).