Is Harry Kane a world-class striker?

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was asked the above question a few days ago while working as a pundit for Sky Sports. The Frenchman stated that he does not believe that Harry Kane is world-class yet. However, that he will be in the future.

Now some would say that somebody so closely connected with Arsenal would say that about a Tottenham striker. However, I believe that Henry was just stating his honest opinion. There are not many world-class players in the world at one time.

Has an effect on every game he appears in

For me, a world-class player is somebody that has an effect on a game, no matter what the opposition or who they are playing for. The likes of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo are good examples. They seem to influence almost every game they play in.

However, those two are miles ahead of their contemporaries. There is also that next tier of player like Luis Suarez, Robert Lewandowski and Neymar, who some would arguably claim are world-class. Kane must come into that bracket just for his sheer effect on his team and the importance of him to Spurs and England.

Without Kane, Tottenham would struggle for goals, just as they did last season when the 24-year-old missed a number of games through injury.

Kane’s is a goal-scoring machine

Harry Kane is a goal-scoring machine. On Tuesday night, the England international scored his sixth hat-trick of 2017, as the north London club won 3-0 at APOEL in the Champions League. The treble took his Champions League goal tally for this season to five. That means the striker is the competitions top scorer.

The striker’s effect on the competition is such that he is now the third favourite to win the Champions League Golden Boot this season at 9/2. Only those aforementioned Champions League record-breakers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are shorter odds to finish top scorer this season.

Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot two years in a row. This season he is again one of the favourites to win the award. For sheer goals scored, Harry Kane is one of the top central strikers in the European game.

He has to get the sort of praise that a number of strikers in the European game receive. If I had to choose any out-and-out striker to lead my forward line, it would be Kane. That is not an English bias on my part.

The striker is just such an intelligent and sharp striker that he is hard to stop at times. Kane is also a striker that can fashion a chance for himself, as well as scoring predator type goals.

Scoring against every sort of opposition

Some strikers are flat-track bullies. They only score against the little teams and struggled against the better teams. However, Kane seems to be dangerous against every defence he faces. The striker is undaunted by playing at tough grounds to score at either.

He does not care if he is playing at Old Trafford, Anfield, the Emirates Stadium or the Etihad Stadium. Kane just goes out with the mind-frame that he will score a goal.

It now seems European defences are suffering at the hands of the 24-year-old. The striker is scoring goals at the top level of the club game. APOEL are not exactly top opposition.

However, when you consider that Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino rotated his squad scoring a hat-trick in an away game in the Champions League is still an achievement.

Harry Kane seems to be bossing club football, but no doubt, his performances for the England team are a barometer of just how good a player Kane really is. The striker has already scored against France and Germany during his international career.

Next year’s World Cup will be the perfect stage to prove his goal-scoring ability on the international stage if that needs any more credence.

If Harry Kane is not regarded as world-class now, I have a feeling that by the end of the World Cup the striker will have proven his world-class status for both club and country.

Is Harry Kane a world-class striker?