Writing in his column for the Telegraph, former Liverpool FC defender Jamie Carragher lamented the England national team and its impact on a potential Harry Kane Ballon d’Or. He even compared it to playing for Tottenham Hotspur, saying that while Kane could leave Spurs for Bayern Munich, he can’t do it with the national team.
Here is the relevant excerpt from the column:
If the vote for the Ballon d’Or was being held right now, Harry Kane would be the worthy winner, his heroics for England against
DR Congo absorbing his 72nd goal of this season. Only Lionel Messi has recently hit those kinds of numbers. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo was so prolific in one campaign.
Until he joined Bayern Munich, the biggest obstacle to Kane winning the biggest prizes in football was the team he played for. All those years when he suffered the jibes for never winning anything had nothing to do with his ability.
Right now, Kane must think playing for England is similar to playing for Tottenham Hotspur, when he knew that no matter how many he scored, or how close he was to a 10/10 individual performance, he would miss out on winners’ medals. The rest of the team was nowhere near good enough.
The difference is he could leave Spurs for Bayern and join a club more likely to match his abilities and ambitions.
After scraping into the round of 16, we must be realistic and accept that our chances of winning the World Cup are remote. With Kane in such form, there is still the slimmest hope. Without him, we would be flying home already.
Based on the past 12 months, Kane should win the Ballon d’Or. Unfortunately, he probably won’t because in a World Cup year it is bound to go to the star player of the winning nation. Much as I want to believe England can still win it, there is nothing to support that opinion, especially after recent performances.
If Argentina retain the cup, Messi will win the Ballon d’Or. If France win the competition, one of their key men will get it. Kane’s Bayern team-mate Michael Olise is a strong contender, and even though by Kylian Mbappé’s standards he has had a frustrating year with his club, that will be forgotten when judged against his fantastic World Cup displays
Another of the Paris St-Germain stars might be celebrating a personal accolade, even though their Champions League win felt more of a team effort than the consequence of one outstanding contribution. Ousmane Dembélé has enjoyed another fantastic season. Kane’s goal output is beyond them all.
This may not go down well with England fans, but Carragher is probably right. Kane has a mammoth task on his hands if he wants to win the World Cup this year. If, indeed, he manages to pull it off, he may go down as one of England’s greatest.
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