World Cup 2018: England’s Harry Kane talks up Golden Boot battle with Cristiano Ronaldo before Tunisia test

Many players would duck a question about competing with Ronaldo but Kane was happy to play along

Nothing motivates Harry Kane more than proving himself, and proving others wrong, and when he leads England out in Volgograd on Monday night he has the chance to do it again on the biggest stage of all.

Kane has 108 Premier League goals already in his brief career, including two Premier League golden boot trophies. But he has never scored for in a major international tournament before. He did not go to the last World Cup, he was barely established at Tottenham back then. And his struggles at Euro 2016 came to represent a failed campaign, as he was unable to replicate what he does for Tottenham.

Over the years he has proven people wrong that he deserves to play for Spurs, that he is not a one-season wonder, that he can cut it with the best. On Monday he will captain England in Tunisia and has the chance to prove himself to the biggest audience of all.

“Four years ago I was watching it on holiday,” Kane said at his pre-match press conference at the Volgograd Arena on Monday night. “Then Mauricio Pochettino came in that summer, got me fit, in better shape, more powerful, and I kicked on from there.”

Kane sees himself as a self-made player and he says that his remarkable rise was largely down to the same spirit that still drives him. “It took a lot of hard work and determination, as there were players ahead of me at the time. I had to work hard on the training pitch and take the opportunities when they came. But the last few years have been amazing, I’ve improved, and now I’m here, I can’t wait to get out there and show the world what I’ve got.”

Kane has never been embarrassed to be ambitious, that has always been another of his fuels. He has been honest enough to say that he is targeting the World Cup for his team and the Golden Boot for himself. Many players would duck a question about competing with Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatest goal-scorer of all time, after Ronaldo’s hat-trick in Sochi. But Kane was happy to play along with it when asked.

Cristiano Ronaldo began his campaign with a hat-trick (Reuters) (REUTERS)

“For sure, [Ronaldo] has put me under a bit of pressure,” he joked. “He is a fantastic player who had a fantastic game, but it’s about concentrating on the team. Hopefully I’ll score a hat-trick tomorrow and we’ll be level. But it’s not something I will be thinking about until later in the tournament.”

One Russian journalist joked with Kane about the trophy he was presented with on England’s first day training in Zelenogorsk on Monday, whether it was the first in his career, and whether he might win another one soon. “I’ve got a lot of scoring trophies in my career,” Kane pointed out. “I’d like to be sitting here with a big gold one in a few weeks. It’s all fun and games on social media.”

And what of Kane’s chances of winning it? He had a dip towards the end of the Premier League season just gone, coming back too quickly from an ankle injury and struggling for rhythm. But he has looked better again in recent weeks, especially in the friendly against Nigeria, and Kane said he was feeling positive about his game again.

In the past England strikers have looked isolated in major tournaments but Kane will play up front alongside Raheem Sterling in Volgograd with Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard supporting from midfield. In theory that should create more openings, not least for Kane himself.

“Obviously we want to attack this tournament, create chances and score goals,” Kane said. “In the friendlies we did that well, the way we played with the runners getting in behind. That will help me get space and chances. To continue what I’m doing, and what I did towards the end of last season in the Premier League, to go out there with confidence and play my best for the team."