According to The Sun, former England legend Gary Lineker praised Kane as the greatest player in England's history during an interview, while revealing a surprising fact – he had never met Kane.
Lineker gave his answer after a moment of consideration. As one of England's greatest strikers, having scored 48 goals in 80 appearances, his response when asked about captain Kane's place in English football history was as decisive as his iconic finishing during his playing days.
"Harry Kane is the best footballer we have ever produced," Lineker said. "Not just the best striker, but the best footballer."
This conversation took place in New York, the day after Kane scored twice in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 match against DR Congo, helping England overcome a difficult situation. Lineker grew up listening to stories of the 1966 FIFA World Cup victory, hearing about Hurst's hat-trick, Bobby Moore's captaincy, and Bobby Charlton's talent. He also played alongside the gifted Gascoigne. But Kane broke Lineker's FIFA World Cup goal-scoring record, easily winning this comparison.
Lineker said: "I know people will mention Charlton, Moore, and probably others, but I didn't really watch them much; I was just a kid back then. You can only judge players you've seen regularly throughout your life, and Harry's record speaks for itself. I know some people think it's easier to break records now because there are more games and more smaller nations. But we're talking about his all-around game, not just the numbers – which are already incredible. His dropping deep to get the ball, holding it up, the weight of his passes, his vision, it's all incredible. His one-on-one shooting, long-range shots, headers, he's proficient in everything. The only thing he might lack is pace. If he had pace, you'd be comparing him to Mbappé."
"His all-around ability is greater than mine. My game was okay; I could hold the ball, lay it off, and then run forward, but I didn't have that passing range, nor did I score from outside the box. I knew I was good, but Harry is on another level. I know a lot about scoring goals, and if you added my pace and my goal-scoring ability to his all-around game, that would be a truly outstanding player!"
Lineker later transitioned from player to a highly successful television presenter, hosting Match of the Day for over 25 years and numerous FIFA World Cups. The most surprising discovery in the interview was when he was asked if he had ever sat down with Kane to compare their respective games, to which he replied: "I've never spoken to him about it. In fact, I've never met him!"
"No, I've interviewed him via TV link, but I've never met him face-to-face. It's crazy, isn't it? I was talking about this with someone the other day, and they all said, 'What?' I replied, 'No, never met him.' I'm not sure if anyone believed me, but it's true."
After leaving the English media, Lineker participated in this FIFA World Cup from a different perspective, producing "The Rest is Football" daily for Netflix in New York. He said: "Our studio is on the second floor of Times Square, and it's absolutely insane there. Thousands of fans from all over the world, a fantastic atmosphere, everyone getting along well, it's been one of the huge successes so far. Everything is joyful. The world can learn from it. I won't go to all the venues to see how the games are progressing, but the stadiums are full. However, ticket prices are too expensive. I think when FIFA claims to be a non-profit organization, we shouldn't have to plan for a second mortgage to buy tickets. That's strange to me. But in terms of football, the games have been really good, and we've seen a lot of spectacular goals."
"We have three girls responsible for makeup, hair, and wardrobe, and at the beginning of the tournament, they knew nothing about the FIFA World Cup, but now they are completely invested. Perhaps that's the only way I can judge it. Hosting a tournament of this scale in three countries is huge, but it's gone well so far, better than I expected. The big stars have all shown up, and they're all scoring goals constantly. For me, the Golden Boot race is as interesting as who wins the championship. Honestly, Messi might still be the best player in the world. No one can do what Messi does; it's remarkable for his age. He's not as fast as he used to be, you can see that, but he still controls the game. He's simply not human. He's not, he's some kind of alien."
England will next play their round of 16 match against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, the site of Maradona's "Hand of God" 40 years ago. How does Lineker, who scored in that match, view England's chances of winning the FIFA World Cup? He replied: "I still don't think they've found their fluent game; they're still feeling their way. I try to watch them neutrally, although I'm not, and the first 20 minutes against DR Congo were very poor. We were essentially stunned by the early goal, but we stabilized at the end of the first period."
"If I were watching that game and it was Brazil or Spain playing against Congo, I would have thought they played well. I've always said we'll score goals. We have two real superstars – Kane and Bellingham, and Rice isn't far behind. The core lineup is there, but there are obviously some defensive concerns because we lack depth. The coach, Tuchel, has worked in England for a few years, and he clearly understands English football and has integrated into the team's mentality. Personally, I think we should be able to find a domestic coach, but at the same time, if we win the FIFA World Cup, I don't think it matters at all. We can win, but it's not very likely, especially seeing how strong France's front four are. The FIFA World Cup is very difficult to win, but we're not without a chance. We can gain some momentum from that comeback because we'll have more confidence. That's important. But the next game in Mexico, with all the challenges, is really, really tough."
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