'A shame' - Harry Kane blames Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo dominance for No.9 shortage as Bayern Munich striker laments tactical shift in football

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for well over a decade, piling up dozens of trophies and winning 13 Ballon d'Or awards between them, with the Argentine superstar claiming eight. The influence of the duo has been felt across the world as they have set all kinds of new records and raised the bar for younger players coming through.

Kane also feels that players would much rather now be wingers than out-and-out strikers. The England captain believes there has been a "tactical shift" thanks to Ronaldo and Messi, which has led to a shortage of world-class No.9s in the modern game. Certainly some of the game's most potent forwards such as Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe prefer to play off the flanks.

Kane told TNT Sports Brazil: "The game is changing a little bit. The way coaching is now [means] a lot of players grow up wanting to be wingers. I think [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] dominated for a long, long time playing off the wings. I think a lot of players wanted to watch them. When I was growing up, I had some of the best strikers in the world [to watch], so I wanted to be a No. 9. That’s just the way football goes. I think, tactically, some managers play with a false nine, or a nine-and-a-half/10 position. It’s a shame because, ultimately, I think scoring goals is the hardest thing in football, so I would like to see more No. 9s coming through, but over the years you’ll see it come and go. But for sure, when I was growing up at No. 9 there were some incredible players."

Kane also revealed his admiration for former Brazil striker Ronaldo Nazario. He added: "I think we’re totally different players in the way we play, but ultimately, the way he used to finish was as good as anyone, as well as the way he moved with the ball. His dribbling ability. His movement. I think he was as good as anyone in the world. He had a lot more ability than me if I’m totally honest. He had good pace as well. But for me growing up, I tried to watch all the best strikers in the world, and he was in his prime at the time. It was a joy to watch him, and it’s been nice to score a few goals myself and take a few bits from his game."

Kane is currently preparing for some key fixtures with Bayern both at home and abroad. The Bavarian giants face PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday and then head into Bundesliga games against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.