Will Harry Kane Develop into the Superstar Tottenham Have Been Seeking?
Harry Kane's latest goalscoring feats earned him shared billing with two of football's best this past weekend.
Two goals in Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers put him into joint third place—temporarily anyway—among scorers in Europe's best leagues. As noted by MailOnline Sport, ahead of him are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi:
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As career achievements go, a statistic doing the rounds on the Internet is not quite scoring two goals to win his first north London derby or the much-discussed possibility of Kane being called up to the England squad this month. The idea was pondered by Bleacher Report's Alex Dimond after the QPR match.
But it does speak to the extraordinary rise in profile Kane has enjoyed as a result of his eye-catching performances. An ascension which, if it stays at its current levels, raises the prospect of the 21-year-old developing into Tottenham's next superstar.
Kane's performances this season are entirely worthy of the excitement surrounding him.
However, they have not come out of nowhere. Through academy learning and initial senior football experiences with Spurs and out on loan—a nine-goal spell with Millwall in 2012 the pick of the latter bunch—Kane has gradually revealed extra layers to his game.
At the 2013 Under-20 World Cup, the Englishman's displays showed a striker whose remit could extend beyond occupying spaces in the immediate vicinity of the penalty box.
Compared to his first Spurs appearances in the Europa League in 2011, he looked smoother in possession and more comfortable operating and influencing from different vantage points.
Later that year, Kane came off the bench to score a superb equaliser against Hull City in the Capital One Cup. Having already hit the woodwork, he proceeded to shrug off defender Paul McShane and fire across the goal into the bottom corner from 19 yards.
Kane's role in that win, which included a penalty in the deciding shootout, did not immediately win him a starting place. When he got a more substantial chance under new, ultimately interim boss Tim Sherwood the following spring, though, three goals further demonstrated the youngster's readiness.
From there, the story of Kane's 2014-15 does not need much retelling.
Spurs' chief cup contributor has turned star Premier League performer. His numbers—chiefly his goal tally of 26—reflect his suitability to head coach Mauricio Pochettino's aggressive style.
His consistently strong, difference-making showings against opponents of different stature and style suggest this is not a player set to rest on his laurels any time soon either.
"I told you all @hkane28 will get 20 Prem goals nearly there then for Golden boot the man has the lot. He wants it so much and won't rest.
— Graham Roberts (@GrahamRoberts4) March 7, 2015"
As former Spur Graham Roberts noted following the QPR win, there is a hunger about Kane right now. An attribute which brings to mind how a sporting great of the 20th century once defined superstardom.
"You become a superstar if, having won, you are never completely satisfied," said Fausto Coppi (h/t William Fotheringham's Coppi biography, Fallen Angel), a cycling world champion and multiple-time winner of the sport's greatest races, including the Tour de France.
Kane is nowhere near the levels of success Il Campionissimo reached prior to and after the Second World War.
But the way the footballer has thus far taken on and revelled in almost every challenge to come his way bears a resemblance to Coppi's creed. Even in a quieter display like the Capital One Cup final loss to Chelsea, Kane continued to try to drive his team forward in the face of the Blues' stifling defensive work.
If the motivation and—as is increasingly looking the case in this spellbinding season—the talent are there, the obstacles to Kane becoming a genuine star of the English game and beyond are the ones not in his control.
The way he has powered on through this season without his work rate or quality diminishing speaks well of his current fitness.
As team-mate Jan Vertonghen cautioned in regards to Kane's possible participation in this summer's Under-21 European Championships, though, too much football can take its toll.
"It’s his call and I know a player always wants to play but sometimes you have to be careful," Vertonghen warned, per The Mirror's John Cross. "It’s a difficult one because last season I played with injuries, but sometimes you just can’t."
Outside of injury halting his momentum, the biggest challenge to Kane becoming a superstar—at least while wearing a Tottenham shirt—is the progress or lack thereof of his current club.
The last Spurs player to enjoy such a transcendent profile was Gareth Bale.
He went from strength to strength after his breakthrough performances in early 2010. Three years later, the progress of the side around him had not been so sufficient as to dissuade him from embarking on a simpler route to success at Real Madrid.
The European champions are reportedly already tracking Kane, per MailOnline's Pete Jenson. Yet, as impressive as he has been this season, he is unlikely to risk moving so relatively early in his overall development—if Real are even truly interested.
The match-winning response of this young Spurs side to their Wembley setback speaks well of the group Pochettino has brought together. At their best, they have sparkled this season.
As a local lad, Kane will surely want to see where things go.
It is up to Pochettino and the north London club to ensure Kane is well-equipped to fulfill his ambitions at White Hart Lane. There is a fine line between enjoying being one of the main men and that responsibility becoming a burden.
Should he continue at his current rate—and most indicators suggest he will—Kane is going to want more and more in his career.
It is this quality which will inspire him to become a potential Tottenham great. But it is also the one which could see superstardom—fame, recognition and chiefly winning silverware—requiring a transfer elsewhere.
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