By Andrew Warshaw
The timing and the occasion could hardly have been sweeter.
In front of a 60,000-plus home and against defending champions Manchester City, England captain Harry Kane became Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time record scorer on Sunday when he netted his 267th goal for the club to secure a 1-0 win and put a dent into City’s hopes of retaining the title.
Interviewed on the pitch at the end of a superb game high on emotion, Kane described moving past Jimmy Greaves’ record as surreal and a dream come true.
The 29-year-old struck in the 15th minute and in doing so also took his Premier League total to 200. Ironically the goal gave a huge boost to Tottenham’s title-chasing arch rivals Arsenal who were upset by Everton on Saturday but still remain five points clear of City at the top.
Kane was mobbed by his teammates after the final whistle before addressing the fans. A message of congratulations from Danny Greaves, son of the late Jimmy, was also shown on the giant stadium screens.
“It’s quite surreal, a magical feeling,” said Kane to rapturous applause. “I was desperate to do it with a win. To do it in front of the home fans is a moment I’ll never forget. I wanted to do it at this special place and in front of these amazing fans.”
“There’s been so much talk about it over the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to get it done as soon as possible. And to do it in a big game against one of the best teams in the world is a special feeling.”
“I’ve been here since I was 11 and it’s been a lot of hard work and sacrifice and dedication. I remember my first Premier League game and now to reach 200 Premier League goals it’s hard to take it in but when I’m older and look back it will be something I’m very proud of.”
“Jimmy was one of the best strikers ever to play the game so to go above him is a dream come true.”
Greaves, who died aged 81 in 2021, is regarded as one of the most natural goal scorers in English football history. A member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad, he remains the highest scorer in English top-flight history with 357 goals across various clubs.
Kane is only the third player to net 200 Premier League goals after Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208).
The only disappointment for him on Sunday was that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte was not present to see his milestone goal since the Italian was recovering from surgery to remove his gall bladder, assistant manager Cristian Stellini taking charge of the high-profile fixture watched across the globe.
Despite his heroics for both club and country, Kane is yet to win a major trophy in his career, fuelling speculation – not for the first time – that he will leave Spurs in the summer, with Manchester United reportedly among possible destinations.
Whether he stays or goes, he said he was now gunning for Shearer’s record.
“I’ve got plenty of goals to come, I’m feeling good. Alan has set the record to beat. I’ll see if I can beat it.”
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