HARRY KANE is ready to take his place in history alongside Pele.
The England captain will move to 77 international goals, the same number as the great man from Brazil, if he scores against Albania at the Arena Kombetare.
Harry Kane is looking to make history against AlbaniaCredit: Getty
The England captain could draw level with Brazil legend Pele on 77 international goalsCredit: Sven Simon
The fact will be playing his 112th game in Tirana, whereas Pele reached that tally in 92 matches, does not make a blind bit of difference.
Kane’s numbers, both past and present for club and country, are absolutely mind-blowing.
The dream is still to lift a major trophy with England which, in turn, could lead to him winning the ultimate individual prize, the Ballon d’Or.
Striker Kane has already scored 23 times in 17 matches for Bayern Munich this season.
And these days, it is a surprise when the ex-Tottenham forward fails to score, something which happened .
Aware that a goal in a dead rubber against Albania would see him reach another memorable milestone, Kane said: “To be around a name like Pele speaks for itself.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to process some of the names you’re around or the things you’re achieving.
“You just want to go on to the next one. Hopefully to score and go level with Pele, who had such an inspirational international career, just shows how far I’ve come through my career.
“I wouldn’t say I get the hump when I don’t score. Winning the game is the most important thing.
“I missed a chance the other day and maybe I had the hump about missing that. But I know there will be times when it goes your way and times it doesn’t.
“I still played a big part in the game and helped with the build-up and transitional play, arriving in the box and doing that job.
“I base it more on my overall performance. But, as a striker, having those instincts, I’m always a bit happier when I have scored and we’ve won.”
When you talk to Kane about his incredible numbers, you cannot avoid mentioning Erling Haaland.
He, too, is unstoppable, with 19 goals from 15 matches for Manchester City.
As for being voted the best player on the planet, Kane added: “Ultimately, I could score 100 goals this season but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, I am probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or. It’s the same with Haaland.
“You have to be winning those major trophies.
“With the way the season is going as a team with Bayern, it looks like we’re in great shape. It looks like we’re one of the favourites for the Champions League. So that maybe makes the odds a little bit more in my favour.
“Same with England. I think we’re going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.
Harry Kane has been in free-scoring form for club and countryCredit: Getty
He is preparing for England’s final World Cup qualifierCredit: Reuters
“From my point of view, I’ve got six more weeks before I get a nice winter break, so I’m in that mode of grinding it out and then getting a good break through a really busy period and then coming out of the other side.
“And that’s when the focus starts to turn into the end of the season, the big games and the summer itself.”
Even though England reached the final of Euro 2024, Kane was not at his best. He knows that.
Three Lions boss also knows it, as he was Bayern manager when his star striker suffered a back issue.
Kane continued to struggle in Germany, even though he denied it at the time.
He said: “I know there was a lot of talk about where I was physically going into the last tournament.
“If I compare it to how I feel now, I’d say I’m definitely fitter and sharper now.
The Bayern Munich striker reckons he won’t win the Ballon d’Or unless he tastes Champions League or World Cup gloryCredit: Alamy
Thomas Tuchel has already guided England to World Cup qualificationCredit: Getty
“That was maybe off the back of a couple of little injuries that I picked up towards the end of the season.
“It’s just trying to peak at the right time and hopefully we can get that right in the summer.”
As for this evening’s game, it will be a new venue for most of the 1,900 travelling fans as the March 2021 qualifier was played in an empty stadium because of Covid restrictions.
But there was a full house in 2001 when British comic Norman Wisdom — a national hero in Albania — was paraded around the pitch at half-time in Tirana wearing a half-and-half shirt.
Wisdom was certainly more famous than David Beckham, who captained the team to a 3-1 win over their hosts, with Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Andy Cole scoring.
Embarrassingly, the Golden Generation never even got past a quarter- final at a major tournament, something Kane has already done three times with .
But as he knows, if he wants to be considered a true great, and to get his hands on the ultimate individual accolade, Kane has to win the World Cup next year — or Euro 2028 on home soil.
