MX23RW : Sunday, November 24 14:59:20| >> :600:172659:172659:

Southgate insists Kane has "time on his side" in bid to break England record

Southgate insists Kane has
© Reuters
Harry Kane is set to win his 50th cap in the Nations League fixture against Belgium this weekend.

Gareth Southgate has backed England captain Harry Kane to become the country's record goalscorer ahead of winning his 50th cap, but he insists the striker is also desperate to achieve team success with the national side.

The Tottenham forward will lead the Three Lions out in their Nations League Group A2 fixture in Belgium on Sunday looking to add to his 32-goal tally.

He is only 21 off Wayne Rooney's landmark figure of 53 and, aged only 27, England boss Southgate says there is plenty more to come from Kane.

Wayne Rooney holds the England scoring record
Wayne Rooney holds the England scoring record (Mike Egerton/PA)

"In terms of what is possible, the goalscoring record is the really interesting one because his strike rate for us is quite phenomenal and he has time on his side to chase Wayne's record, which would be a remarkable feat," Southgate said.

"I know from his perspective, while the personal achievement is something he is driven towards, he is all about the team winning.

"He has been to a World Cup and won the golden boot, but in the end you want to win as a team and he is totally focused on that and the team having success."

Southgate first worked with the forward with England's Under-21s and says his first ever senior goal against Lithuania in 2015, while Roy Hodgson was in charge of the national team, is a moment that stands out when he thinks of Kane's 32 strikes for his country.

He added: "The first thing that springs to mind is his first goal for England with Roy because we were with the Under-21s and whenever one of your players get called into the seniors, you are looking at how they get on.

"I remember being in a hotel and hearing he had scored and that was a brilliant moment for all of us because you like to see those boys progress and do well.

"The equaliser at Hampden, that was a very important goal for us at a critical moment and of course his goals at the World Cup.

"To win the golden boot is an incredible personal achievement. There have been so many, but it is a special moment for him. We have had three or four players get to the 50-cap milestone in the last year and for all of them it is a fantastic achievement."

Declan Rice praised Kane's leadership qualities and admitted he is looking to learn as much as possible from the Tottenham hitman.

The West Ham midfielder has worn the armband at his club side on occasions this season when regular captain Mark Noble has been out of the team.

"With H, you feel his presence all the time. If you look at the other night, beforehand he is in the changing room, getting everyone ready and talking to the lads individually," Rice said.

"For a youngster like me, who is aspiring to be a future captain, you have to look at what he does. He might not be the loudest on the pitch, but the way he takes the ball under pressure and gets defences scared, he is a real leader."

Jack Grealish could start for England against Belgium
Jack Grealish could start for England against Belgium (Nick Potts/PA)

Rice is expected to start in Belgium on Sunday but all eyes will be on whether Southgate selects Jack Grealish in the XI for the first time in a competitive fixture.

The Aston Villa playmaker has often been compared to Mason Mount, with the latter on the receiving end of criticism from rival fans this season.

After the pair played together in England's 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, Rice insisted there is no reason why that cannot continue.

He added: "If you look at Jack and Mas, there will always be comparisons, but they are playing in two different parts of the pitch.

"Mason now at Chelsea is playing as an attacking eight and Jack is playing off the left and we saw the other night they can both play in the same team and they are both great players we should be valuing."

Harry Maguire is suspended for England
Harry Maguire is suspended for England (Mike Egerton/PA)

England will be without the suspended Harry Maguire and Reece James for Sunday's game, but Jude Bellingham has remained part of the senior set-up after he made his debut in the victory over Ireland on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Harry Kane's luxury Range Rover has been stolen from outside an address in north-east London, according to reports.

Thieves used an electronic device to open the £100,000 car in Chingford before making off with it, the Sun newspaper reported.

The Metropolitan Police said officers received a report of a theft of a vehicle from outside a residential property in the Chingford area on October 25.

Tottenham declined to comment on the story and said it was a "private matter".

ID:422280: cacheID:422280:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:10483:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
England manager Gareth Southgate pictured on November 17, 2019
Read Next:
Gareth Southgate delighted to see Harry Maguire perform for England
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Vikings
@
Bears
6pm
Lions
@
Colts
6pm
Patriots
@
Dolphins
6pm
Buccaneers
@
Giants
6pm
Chiefs
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Texans
6pm
Cowboys
@
Washington
9.05pm
Broncos
@
Raiders
9.25pm
49ers
@
Packers
9.25pm
Cardinals
@
Seahawks
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!