Tottenham player review: Harry Kane

Even though he earns over £100 000 per week, Harry Kane is still one of the most underpaid elite strikers in world football.

One hundred thousand pounds is a lot of money, especially to a layman looking in from the outside. But in a sport that has morphed into big business, £100 000 a week is a mere drop in the ocean for a player contributing almost a goal a game.

Kane, along with Dele Alli, Hugo Lloris, is Spurs top commodity. The 23-year-old, who was once predicted by many as a one-year wonder, has consistently proven his detractors dead wrong. Spurs top scorer has won enjoyed three extraordinary successive seasons, which has seen him win back-to-back Golden Boots.

His 2016-17 campaign deserves the most plaudits, though. Kane missed two months through injury and played seven fewer games than Romelu Lukaku, yet still managed to score four more goals than his nearest competitor.

Finishing the season with 29 goals in only 30 outings, Kane, with 0.97 goals per match, enjoyed one of the highest return rates in Premier League history, even edging out Alan Shearer’s top offensive seasons. 

He also scored five hat tricks in his last 19 starts, two of which coming – including a four-goal performance against Leicester – in consecutive games to end the season. According to an article in the Telegraph, Kane’s shooting was more accurate than the top 25 strikers in England. He also took more shots from distance than any other forward.

Oh, and he chipped in with seven assists, bettered only by Alexis Sanchez and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

But maybe the most impressive thing about Spurs’ talisman is his leadership qualities. You can tell how popular he is in North London, not only with supporters, but with teammates and colleagues alike.

Home grown and Tottenham through and through, Kane is lionized and revered by Spurs’ faithful.

Next: Tottenham need an experienced understudy to support Harry Kane

A smile similar to Cheshire Cat’s pervades when thinking about how much other élite forwards are getting paid to do a far inferior job.

For example, take Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Though he shouldered much of United’s scoring burden before suffering a season-ending injury, he doesn’t hold a candle to Kane’s overall production and contribution.

And the Manchester United elder statesman was on more than £300,000 per week last season.

Looks like something has to give in the coming seasons, but for now supporters will enjoy every minute of watching Spurs underpaid talisman continually making a mockery of almost every Premier League defence.