The stature of Harry Kane 's achievement to become the Premier League's joint-second-highest scorer in history should have garnered more attention.
But as has been the case on many occasions in his Spurs career so far, the failure of his team has undermined that personal achievement. A last-gasp Diogo Jota winner at Anfield last Sunday extinguished what could have been one of the club's rare good days during a challenging season.
"The last ten seconds is hard to put into words how that happens and why that happens," a devastated Kane commented. "We have to just move on from it and try to get ready for next week." Getting on with the job despite setbacks has been something Kane has been remarkable at during his career, but this summer offers the chance for something different.
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The conversation over Kane leaving in search of silverware is not a new one by any means, but it is one that needs an answer sooner rather than later. At the age of 29, there are few more summers when Kane is going to be able to offer value to an elite club worth investing in over a younger striker for the long term. It would simply be career malpractice if Kane did not depart this summer from a club that needs him more than he needs them.
That imbalance was perfectly reflected in his consolation strike during the humiliating 6-1 loss to Newcastle at St James' Park recently. An afternoon that exposed the multitude of Spurs' issues in plain sight. But Kane still produced a solo moment of brilliance, thrown into insignificance due to his team already being 5-0 down.
He has given the majority of his career to Spurs but now the imbalance in who is contributing more to this relationship is undeniable. The North London club remain without a permanent head coach after parting ways with both Antonio Conte and interim Cristian Stellini. When Kane committed his long-term future to the club back in 2018, Mauricio Pochettino had just finished his fourth term with a third successive year in the Champions League on the horizon, that year Spurs would reach the final.
Back then, even if silverware had not come, there was justification for staying around. There was tangible proof of improvement in the Premier League, there was an identity to grasp onto. There is nothing even remotely reflecting that now. There are no trophies but equally no plan to even achieve progress. Kane has kept scoring bundles of goals, but overall Spurs have regressed in the quality of player and league position.
Even if Julian Nagelsmann were to be appointed, Kane should feel little obligation to remain patient when he could finally fulfil an ambition elsewhere. It is Spurs that have failed to match Kane's aspirations rather than the other way around. Whether it be to Manchester United or more adventurously abroad with say Bayern Munich, Kane has done enough for Spurs to move on now.
Even with the irritated response of Spurs' fans who felt offended by his very public expression of wanting out to Gary Neville back in the spring of 2021, the calamity of this campaign and vocal fury with Daniel Levy should trump that. It is the club that has consistently made bad calls in coaching appointments and player acquisitions. Kane is an endangered species in an era where one-club men remain rare.
The summer when he could have moved to Manchester City proved that Kane is open to moving and understands the opportunity that is out there. Two years later he has more leverage, effectively forcing Levy to sell this summer to gain some profit or risk him walking for free at the end of his contract in 2024.
People will cite examples of greats that demonstrate you do not need silverware to be regarded as an elite player. Kane will certainly be remembered as a ridiculously good goalscorer, one of the best in Premier League history: the stats prove it. For his nation, he recently became the all-time goalscorer too, another special achievement even if club football is taken more seriously outside of the major tournaments.
Matt Le Tissier, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker all are remembered as legends of the English game even if they did not boast a collection of winners' medals at the end of them. It is flippant to suggest that what Kane has already achieved is irrelevant or not worthy of acclaim, but there is a reality that for a player this great, a career without a major honour would be a great shame.
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