Harry Kane will be looking to fire England into the World Cup final when they face Argentina and the Three Lions captain could use the advice of one of their legends against them.
Kane met Argentina legend Diego Maradona before a Tottenham match back in 2017, where he sought to offer advice to the striker on how he could remain at the top of the game.
The England captain recently reflected on meeting Maradona, who died aged 60 in 2020, when asked about the Argentine ahead of the Three Lions’ meeting with Mexico at the Azteca.
The venue was the location of Maradona’s two most famous goals, the ‘Hand of God’ and his solo run and finish dubbed the ‘goal of the century’ against England in the 1986 World Cup.
‘(Maradona) was great when I met him,’ Kane said. ‘We only spoke briefly.’
‘There was a clip of him talking about me finishing and giving the keeper the eyes. It’s quite a nice clip actually.’
Diego Maradona once met England captain Harry Kane before a Tottenham match in 2017
The Argentina legend offered Kane finishing tips to help him reach the top of the game
Maradona warned Kane not to keep shooting to the near post as he advice him to also shoot across the goalkeeper
Maradona had been a guest of his former Argentina team-mate Ossie Ardiles at the match at Wembley.
He caught up with Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino – his old team-mate at Newell’s Old Boys – as well as captain Hugo Lloris and Kane in the dressing room before the match.
‘What a goalscorer,’ Maradona said when introduced to Kane.
‘Mauricio has a real backbone in the team, Hugo stops everything at one end and Harry puts everything in at the other.’
As Maradona left, he shook Kane’s hand a final time before offering him advice.
‘Harry, don’t always go near post with your shots, go across goal sometimes.
‘You know why? Goalkeepers watch you on TV all the time.
‘So next time, across!’
Kane has scored six goals at the World Cup to help England reach the semi-finals
Maradona would ultimately watch on from the stands as Kane scored twice for Tottenham in a 4-1 victory over Liverpool.
The Argentina legend had been introduced to the crowd at Wembley at half-time.
It was not Maradona’s only association with Tottenham having been a guest player in Ardiles’ testimonial match in May 1986, which saw Glenn Hoddle give up his No 10 shirt to the Argentine, who also borrowed boots from forward Clive Allen.
Maradona’s appearance in the match came just weeks before his decisive role in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup quarter-finals, as he eventually captained the South Americans to a second triumph.
Kane will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Maradona and his former team-mate Lloris, who captained France to glory in 2018, and lift the World Cup.
The England captain, who now plays for Bayern Munich, heads into the semi-final having scored 73 goals for club and country this season.
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