Summary

Media caption,

Ronaldo inspires me to play for as long as possible - Kane

  1. get involved

    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England greats?published at 14:39 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Discussion of greatest goalscorers should surely consider the rate of scoring i.e. goals per game. Very different eras with very different conditions and playing styles make comparison impossible, but only four England players with 30 or more goals averaged more than 0.50 goals per game: Gary Lineker 0.60 (48 in 80); Harry Kane 0.67 (66 in 99); Jimmy Greaves 0.77 (44 in 57); Nat Lofthouse 0.91 (30 in 33). All fantastic finishers!

    Ian in Warwickshire

    Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves, Nat Lofthouse and Gary LinekerImage source, Getty Images
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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 14:37 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Harry Kane should rank among the best ever to don the England shirt. Even if England played some smaller nations during his time, he still has to possess the ability to put those chances away. The Euros showed he is a fading force though, and England need to be considering more rotation between him and Watkins. Watkins won't last as long in the main striker role, but he is the right choice for the next few years until a young natural goalscorer comes in.

    Matt, Birmingham

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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 14:35 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Harry Kane receives criticism because in the biggest games, when England are trying to get over the line, he's gone missing. Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, Italy in the 2020 Euros final [played in 2021], France in the 2022 World Cup and Spain in the Euro 2024 final. It's great to stat pad against the likes of Tunisia and Ukraine, but when it's really mattered, it hasn't happened.

    Chris, Guildford.

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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 14:33 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Harry Kane is out of the top drawer as a player and as a person. First in the door last out. Always makes himself available for England and gives it his all. Nobody is even close to the amount of goals he has scored for England. People knock him and he never moans, he just keeps scoring goals. Basically, if he played for Manchester City or Arsenal he’d get a lot more respect.

    Adam

  5. Postpublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 10 September

    Right, back to Harry Kane and England.

    This debate over whether Kane should be considered an England great is really splitting the room.

    Let's have a look at some of the alternative arguments being offered by readers of the page...

  6. Odegaard heading back to Arsenal to have injury assessedpublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 10 September

    Alex Howell
    BBC football news reporter

    Martin Odegaard being pictured on crutches is a blow for Arsenal. He’s heading back to the club so that the injury he picked up in Norway's game on Monday can be assessed.

    It’s another midfield problem for Mikel Arteta, with Declan Rice suspended for the north London derby and Mikel Merino injured too.

    Riccardo Calafiori also returned early from international duty, missing Italy’s match with Israel on Monday as he has his injury assessed.

    It means Arteta will have to try to find a solution in midfield as Odegaard is so important to how Arsenal play.

  7. Which games could Odegaard miss?published at 14:16 British Summer Time 10 September

    Martin Odegaard was injured while representing Norway in a Nations League victory over Austria on Monday.

    He suffered an ankle injury following a sliding tackle from Christoph Baumgartner and was in clear pain as he left the pitch on 67 minutes.

    The Norway team doctor later said that the midfielder had a minor sprain but would require an ultrasound and possibly an MRI scan to determine the full extent of the injury.

    Arsenal play at north London rivals Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, while their Champions League campaign begins against Atalanta on 19 September and they play at league champions Manchester City on 22 September.

    The Gunners will be missing suspended England midfielder Declan Rice for the trip to Tottenham following his red card in their previous league match against Brighton.

    Martin Odegaard injuredImage source, Getty Images
  8. Odegaard pictured using crutchespublished at 14:11 British Summer Time 10 September

    Martin Odegaard has been pictured using crutches while boarding a private plane at an Oslo airport.

    Norwegian publication Verdens Gang, external pictured the Norway midfielder using crutches to get towards the plane before someone held Odegaard's crutches as he hobbled up the steps.

    He was not wearing a show on his left foot, which appeared to be slightly bandaged, and the 25-year-old also appeared to avoid putting any strain on his left foot.

    Odegaard was followed on to the plane by his pregnant girlfriend Helene Spilling, who was carrying their pet dog.

  9. What's to come?published at 14:02 British Summer Time 10 September

    Before we chat more about England before their game with Finland later, we have an update to bring you on Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard, who injured his ankle playing for Norway on Monday.

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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 13:58 British Summer Time 10 September

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    We keep hearing that Harry Kane should step aside for the next era. But who exactly from the next era, is going to replace him?

    Gary

  11. Lack of number nines is a 'long-term concern'published at 13:51 British Summer Time 10 September

    England v Finland (19:45 BST)

    Henry Winter
    Football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Liam Delap playing for the England Under-21s against AustriaImage source, Reuters

    I've asked Lee Carsley about it, where are all the number nines?

    I watched Liam Delap play for the Under-21s, he's kind of their great hope as a number nine coming through. I think it's an issue. It's partly because teams are playing with one up front and partly because kids nowadays, they want to be ballers, they want to be number 10s, they want to be attackers out wide, they want to be Bukayo Saka.

    Number nines are not an endangered species - look at what Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski are doing, players like that. But there aren't so many of them now. It is a long-term concern.

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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 13:44 British Summer Time 10 September

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    It’s simple for me; Harry Kane is the greatest ever England footballer. We will not have another player of his calibre for generations. Those trying to retire him early are delusional and comparing him to the team of 66 is nonsense. It was a different era with a different level of opposition.

    Bri C, Wigan

    That might be true Bri, but 1966 was not a bad era to test yourself against players who would go on to be regarded as legends of the game. Sir Bobby Charlton won the Ballon d'Or that year, with Eusebio second and Franz Beckenbauer third. Pele also played in the 1966 World Cup - the only one of four finals he played in that Brazil did not win.

  13. Clive Allen's NFL adventurepublished at 13:41 British Summer Time 10 September

    A footballer becoming an NFL kicker has been done before, but Toni Fritsch won a Super Bowl ring way back in 1972.

    There is a more recent example, and coincidentally, that involves another former Tottenham striker. Clive Allen finished his football career with a brief stint with Carlisle during the 1995-96 season before trying his luck as a kicker with the London Monarchs.

    Allen was 35 when he joined the former NFL Europe team in 1997 and he made six out of six field goals, but just seven out of 10 for the extra point after a touchdown.

    None of his field goals were from further than 40 yards, and nowadays NFL kickers make kicks from more than 60 yards. Harry Kane would definitely need to get some practice in.

    Clive Allen in a London Monarchs helmetImage source, Getty Images
  14. Kane's NFL dreampublished at 13:34 British Summer Time 10 September

    Last year Harry Kane spoke about his interest in being a kicker in the NFL once his football playing career comes to an end.

    "It's something I want to definitely explore. I know it will be a lot of hard work. I'm not expecting to just walk up and start kicking field goals. It would be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work.

    "But yeah, it's something I'd love to do. The NFL is something I have been following for about 10 years now, and I love it, so I would love to give it a go."

    Harry Kane at and NFL matchImage source, Getty Images
  15. 'I'd say that within three years Kane will be a kicker in the NFL'published at 13:27 British Summer Time 10 September

    Henry Winter
    Football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

    If I was taking a punt, as it were, on Harry Kane's future, I would say that within three years he'll be a kicker in the NFL.

    He's talked about it, he's big mates with Tom Brady, and it's been done before. There was an Austrian footballer (Toni Fritsch) who went on to win the Super Bowl as a kicker with the Dallas Cowboys.

    I'm sure that's more likely for Kane (than reaching 100 goals for England).

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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 13:23 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Harry Kane does what Harry Kane does, scores goals, he scores regularly in getting us qualified and is always there or thereabouts for Golden Boot in WC and EC. Feel he gets too much unwarranted criticism. And this from a West Ham fan.

    Chris

  17. Will Kane reach 100 goals?published at 13:20 British Summer Time 10 September

    So far, Harry Kane has averaged about seven goals from about 10 games a calendar year for England.

    That means he'd have to keep scoring at the same rate for at least another four years to reach 100 international goals.

    Do you think he'll do it? Hit those thumbs people.

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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England's greats?published at 13:14 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Matt Connolly: Harry Kane is our top goalscorer. You can argue relative strength of eras but the brand of football under Southgate was not attacking and he still did the business. England Legend.

    Chris: If Kane is not an England great, then neither are the likes of Shilton, Beckham, Rooney, Matthews, Gerrard, Cole, Robson, Lineker, Gascoigne, Finney, Keegan, Billy Wright, Shearer, Pearce, Butcher, Haynes or Lampard.

  19. 'I'll look back on this with immense pride'published at 13:08 British Summer Time 10 September

    England

    "When you look at the list [of players with 100 caps] it is a list of some our greatest players," Harry Kane said as he prepares to earn his 100th cap.

    "I'm sure when I'm retired I'll look back on this with immense pride. I've done around 15, 16, 17 caps a year whereas a normal year would be 10."

    Harry Kane with his arms aloft while representing EnglandImage source, Getty Images
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    Get Involved - where does Kane rank among England greats?published at 13:00 British Summer Time 10 September

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    Harry Kane's goals and appearances are boosted by a number of factors. A third of his goals are simply because he is allocated "penalty taker". His appearances (and goals) are boosted by way too many against minnow nations and international friendlies (should they really count?), as well as meaningless/ pointless tournaments, such as the Nations League. The biggest stat is that he has no trophies in his entire career. Kane should not be an automatic starter - get out of the way for the next generation.

    Mike, South Africa

    If not Kane, then who do you think should be starting up front for England between now and the next World Cup? Let us know via the usual channels listed above.