Harry Kane ‘as inspirational as pesto pasta on a Sunday’ - England captain told he ‘doesn’t do magic’ in assessment of Bayern Munich striker

At 32 years of age, the prolific striker remains the go-to option to lead the line for his country. He has registered 73 goals for the Three Lions, rewriting the record books there, while moving on to 108 international caps - the same number as World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore.

Questions have, however, been asked on a regular basis of whether Kane is the right choice to fill England’s No.9 berth. He is considered to be less mobile than alternative options, while his reign as captain has delivered two European Championship final defeats and World Cup semi-final heartache.

Kane is also being accused of stat padding his goal numbers against lesser nations, with a telling contribution yet to be made when it matters most. The Bayern Munich frontman drew a blank on his latest outing, as England toiled their way to a 2-0 victory over Andorra.

In the wake of that contest, Giles Whittell wrote for The Observer: “To win a World Cup takes magic, and Kane doesn’t do magic. He does composure in the six-yard box. He seems to be a lovely guy with a lovely family, but he’s as inspirational as pesto pasta on a Sunday night. He’s the Tim Peake of planet Earth. He makes time stand still, and not in a good way.

“If we’re stuck with Kane, we might as well be stuck in any of the even-numbered years of the past decade, not winning the Euros three times and the World Cup twice with Kane up front. It’s time for just about anyone else.”

There is little chance of Kane being dropped by England any time soon, with Thomas Tuchel - who worked with the iconic No.9 at Bayern - putting his faith in proven performers. The Three Lions are well on course to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup finals as they sit top of qualification Group K with maximum points from four games.