It wasn’t a World Cup quarter-final, but a successful penalty awarded to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s team 103 days after his last attempt for England at Al Khor was a redemption of sorts for Harry Kane.
It was 54 years of Kane.e gate for their country; No English player, male or female, has more in the history of the national team. In 46 days, Kane achieved a club and country record of immortality, surpassing two of the all-time greats, the late Sir Jimmy Greaves and Wayne Rooney. The two records that Kane had his eye on fell one after the other. With the exception of Tottenham’s annual collapse, 2023 has been a profitable year for Kane so far. Next up: Alan Shearer’s Premier League record, minus 204 points, 56 left.
The celebration followed the usual four-stage routine: 1) kissing the wedding ring, 2) jogging towards the corner flag, 3) jumping off the ground as if on an invisible trampoline, 4) purposefully swinging the right arm forward like a malfunctioning robot. Only this time it was different. Rough emotions flickered across Kane’s face as he enjoyed a career-defining moment, a mixture of joy and ecstasy. And tangible, undeniable relief. All goals are the same, but some goals are more important than others.
Kane admitted after England’s World Cup elimination to France that a missed penalty with six minutes left would haunt him for the rest of his career. No doubt sleepless nights followed, but as far as it was possible on a Thursday night in Naples, he would doze off as soon as he settled into his hotel room for the night. The penalty curse is removed on the first try.
“It means everything,” Kane said. channel 4 after the final whistle. “I was so excited that I put on the England jersey, came back here and started campaigning for the European Championship next year.
“Obviously it was supposed to be a penalty and when it hit the net… great emotions. A big thank you to all the players, staff, fans, my wife, my family at home, everyone who helped me get to this podium. Just a magical moment.”
He added, “Yesterday I worked hard in training, chose my seat and thankfully cleaned it, so just a great evening. It’s been so long since we’ve won in Italy and to score and win in this game is something special.”
It was a re-enactment of David Beckham’s own Hollywood moment against Argentina in Sapporo 21 years ago. Beckham, a boy from East London, was an obvious inspiration to Kane and he eventually followed the same career path, going from Ridgway Rovers at Chingford to Premier League superstar and eventual captain of his country. And like Beckham, he bottomed out on the world stage only to bounce back with a redeeming 40-foot punch.
Rooney immediately greeted his former Washington teammate, tweeting: “Congratulations to Harry Kane on becoming England’s all-time leading scorer. I knew it wouldn’t take long, but it happened quickly. Great man, incredible scorer and English legend. Congratulations Harry.”
Kane responded to the admiration by saying, “I was on the court when Wayne broke the record and I know what that meant to him and I was so proud of him.
“I remember when I gave him a shoe for breaking the record, he said that one day I will return it to you, and yes, just a special person and an English legend himself, so it’s fantastic to hear that.”
While he still eludes trophies, Kane’s brilliance is defined by numbers, but he brings much more than goals to the teams he represents. Shortly after his record-setting goal, Kane had to make an assist with a backboard to Jack Grealish, who inexplicably volleyed wide of the far post as the net opened up in front of him.
Kane’s best work is included, but other aspects of his game are just as polished as his relentless finishing and accurate passing. England should have sealed the win at half-time, but Grealish’s miss gave the Italians a much-needed boost. After the break, the guests had to rummage in their pockets, especially after the late departure of Luke Shaw.
Kane ran into Italy’s goal in the first half when Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham rushed past him in support, and he ended up with his back to goal in the second half. It was a stubborn and thankless task, but it was necessary to help England secure three points and kick off their UEFA EURO 2024 campaign with a successful mission of revenge against the team that shattered their dreams at a wet Wembley in 2021.
Play here with the intensity and zeal of their early days and England will create problems for every team on the continent. And maybe next summer Kane will win a trophy worthy of his goals and records.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.