Kane blames Messi and Ronaldo for number nine shortage

Harry Kane has blamed the influence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the lack of current number nines in the game.

He credits the two footballing behemoths for encouraging new players to be wingers rather than taking up the traditional striker role.

Kane has made his own case for being listed among the best in the number nine role. He netted his 50th goal in the Bundesliga in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Augsburg last week, reaching the milestone in just 43 appearances.

It smashed the previous record of 50 set by Erling Haaland during his time at Borussia Dortmund.

“The game is changing a little bit. The way coaching is now [means] a lot of players grow up wanting to be wingers,” Kane told TNT Sport Brazil.

“I think Messi and Cristiano dominated for a long, long time playing off the wings. I think a lot of players wanted to watch them.

“When I was growing up, I had some of the best strikers in the world [to watch], so I wanted to be a number nine.

“That’s just the way football goes. I think, tactically, some managers play with a false nine, or a nine-and-a-half or 10 position.

“But for sure, when I was growing up at number nine, there were some incredible players.”

Kane certainly took note, becoming a complete striker. Of Kane’s 50 Bundesliga goals, 10 have come from penalties, while 32 of them have been with his right foot, nine with his left and nine with his head.

He is also the quickest Bayern player to hit 50 league goals for the club, surpassing Robert Lewandowski’s previous record of 64 games by a staggering 21 matches.

The England captain, who is preparing for a Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, drew particular inspiration from Brazilian great Ronaldo.

“I think we’re totally different players in the way we play, but ultimately, the way he used to finish was as good as anyone, as well as the way he moved with the ball,” Kane added.

“His dribbling ability. His movement. I think he was as good as anyone in the world. He had a lot more ability than me if I’m totally honest. He had good pace as well.

“But for me growing up, I tried to watch all the best strikers in the world, and he was in his prime at the time.

“It was a joy to watch him, and it’s been nice to score a few goals myself and take a few bits from his game.”