Ex-Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has claimed the jury’s still out on Harry Kane despite the England captain levelling Gary Lineker’s World Cup goals record.
Kane, 32, spearheaded the Three Lions to a 4-2 victory against Croatia on Wednesday in Dallas with a brace scored before half-time.
His first came on the second attempt from the penalty spot after encroachment saw the referee order a retake before, following a Croatian leveller, Kane restored England’s lead with a bullet header into the bottom corner.
Thomas Tuchel’s side then proved too powerful for Croatia in the second 45 as goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford secured them all three points.
Kane’s brace marked his ninth and tenth World Cup goals and saw him level the record set by ex-Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur striker Lineker.
But, according to Hamann, the Bayern Munich star needs to prove he can step up when it really matters – in the knockout stages.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has claimed the jury’s still out on England captain Harry Kane
The 32-year-old spearheaded England to victory against Croatia on Tuesday with a brace
Speaking on Irish television channel RTE Sport, the German said: ‘I think he’s scored eight goals in the group stages – two against Tunisia, three against Panama and a penalty against Colombia.
‘He’s the captain and he’s there to score goals in the knockout games. The jury’s out. I want to see him do it against France and Brazil. Whether he’s capable of doing it, we don’t know yet.
‘He scores an awful lot of goals but in Munich every centre forward scores goals. It doesn’t matter if he scores 25 or 35, they’re going to win the league.
‘I think there’s a few centre forwards in the tournament I’d rather have than him. In tournament football you can score on the counter attack, but he’s not going to do that.
‘At some stage in the tournament, you need pace, and he simply hasn’t got it. His finishing is probably the best in the world, but does he get in these positions against Germany, Brazil and France? I’m not too sure.’
During England’s run to the final of the European Championships in 2024, Kane netted against both Slovakia in the round of 16 and the Netherlands in the semi-final.
And, at the last World Cup in Qatar, the ex-Spurs star found the back of the net against Senegal in the round of 16 and France in the quarter-final.
Kane’s two goals last night saw him equal Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland’s tallies after their opening matches, with Lionel Messi sitting alone at the top of the race for the Golden Boot following his hat-trick against Algeria.
Kane scored his first from the penalty spot before adding a second with a bulet header
Speaking to reporters post-match in Dallas, Kane said it was crucial that he bagged his first goal of the tournament as early as possible.
He said: ‘I’d been waiting long enough to just play the game. We’ve had to wait six days so I think everyone was just itching to get out there.
‘As a striker, I just wanted to get myself on the scoresheet as early as possible. I think that competition helps me to push my levels. That’s what the World Cup’s for – for the best players to play at the highest level.’
The Three Lions skipper also revealed how Tuchel inspired his players with a ‘great speech’ at half-time after they twice let their lead slip before the interval.
After Kane’s opener, Martin Baturina equalised for the Croatians with a stunning strike from distance before Petar Musa levelled once more on the brink of half-time with a side-footed volley.
‘He just told us to let the shackles off,’ Kane said. ‘To calm down. Kind of, what are we scared of? Let’s just go. The way we conceded that second goal is not the team we want to be.
‘He just kind of said what’s the worst can happen? Let’s just show the world who we can be.’
The victory sent Tuchel’s men top of Group L ahead of Ghana, who took three points from Panama thanks to a last-minute winner from Caleb Yirenkyi.
The Three Lions face the Ghanaians on Tuesday at the Gillette Stadium in Boston.
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