The biggest compliment that can be paid to Harry Kane is that he never really makes a fuss.
As he nodded in Lucas Moura’s cross to make it 1-0 against Ludogorets on Thursday, he totalled up 200 goals in a Tottenham shirt.
When the ball flew past Plamen Iliev in the Ludogorets goal, Kane ran off and celebrated in his typical fashion. It was normal service for a striker who needed just 300 games to reach his double century. No fuss. But thankfully his manager and former Tottenham greats were on hand to talk up the England captain.
Harry Kane’s header against Ludogorets took his tally of goals for Tottenham up to 200
The 28-year-old is in his prime and thriving as he looks to add another century of strikes
‘The numbers make him a club legend,’ manager Jose Mourinho told BT Sport after the 3-1 win.
‘What he is achieving in the Premier League is great for such a young guy.’
Kane is 28, in his prime and is sat third in Tottenham’s all-time scorers’ list and joint-10th in the Premier League’s all-time goal standings.
There is a saying in basketball among elite players that they don’t shoot to miss, they believe they will score every time.
And there is an argument to be made that Kane’s mindset is similar, if not the same. Scoring goals does not surprise him, and why should it? Reaching 200 for Tottenham shows that he’s operated at an elite level for years on end.
Kane’s first goal for Tottenham came in the Europa League in 2011 against Shamrock Rovers
A breakdown of his 200 goals so fare shows that 121 arrived courtesy of his trusted right foot
Breaking down his 200 club – captured in a graphic by SofaScore – proves fascinating in discovering the anatomy of his goals.
The header that sealed No 200 was highly unlikely for a striker so reliant on his right foot.
Of the 200, just 34 were headers. There were 121 accounted for on his preferred right foot and 44 on his left foot. In statistics provided by Opta, one goal has been listed as ‘other’.
Kane’s first goal for Tottenham – in the final minute of a 4-0 Europa League win against Shamrock Rovers in 2011 – came with his right foot after a smart header back across the box by Andros Townsend teed him up.
His first goal in the Premier League came against Sunderland in 2014 and again arrived off his trusty right foot. Safe to say it has served him well in the six years since that day at White Hart Lane.
The majority of Kane’s goals have come in the Premier League and his next one will be his 150th. West Brom are the opponents today (Sunday) and Kane will no doubt feel he has his eye in.
He is already Spurs’ top European goalscorer, with 20 Champions League goals, 11 in the Europa League and five in Europa League qualifiers. The FA Cup has brought him 10 goals while he has scored five in the League Cup.
The complete breakdown also details how Kane IS a penalty-box poacher, even if he remains a real danger when dropping deep.
A rise in his assist totals has been, in part, due to adapting his game to come deeper more often, allowing the quicker wingers to run the channels and exploit space.
But when it comes to finishing it is all about inside the 18-yard box for Kane. Inside those white lines the Spurs striker has netted 177 of his 200 goals. The remaining 23 – few more iconic than his effort in a north London derby against Arsenal in 2016 – were thunderbolts from outside the box.
One quirk to an analysis of Kane’s goals is that he has just one scored from a free-kick on his Tottenham resume.
That one arrived in spectacular fashion as a last-minute winner against Aston Villa at Villa Park in 2014. His 30 penalties is less surprising and that number will continue to rise as he is Tottenham’s designated taker.
Heading is not all that common among the goals, with just 34 of the 200 coming from his head
To be Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer he needs 66 to pass Jimmy Greaves (seen in 1969)
Kane (right) met Greaves (left) back in 2017 and he is now closing in on his all-time club record
Kane allowed himself to react to the milestone in his post-match interview but already has tunnel vision activated for more.
‘It’s a great milestone to reach and hopefully there are a few more to come,’ Kane said on Thursday.
‘Time goes so quick it feels like yesterday I scored my first for Spurs. It’s a great achievement but let’s keep them coming.’
Let’s keep them coming, exactly. Hitting 200 goals for a club is by no means an easy feat but Kane’s insatiable appetite means he wants more, he wants records, even if he won’t spell it out as such.
At Spurs he is third on their all-time scorers’ chart, eight behind Bobby Smith and 66 behind the great Jimmy Greaves.
‘I’m delighted for him,’ said Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle.
‘Look at those players there, (Bobby) Smith and Jimmy Greaves are only ahead of him (on the club’s top scorers list).
‘I think if he stays at the club I think he could actually catch Jimmy. He’ll be disappointed he didn’t score the earlier chance to get to the 200.’
Given the current season remains in its infancy, Kane will expect to have comfortably surpassed Smith before 2020 is out and also have made a dent in the 66 gulf between him and the No 1 spot.
The challenge for Kane is to beat Alan Shearer’s all time record of 260 Premier League goals
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is fourth all-time but his fitness is a growing concern
Then attention turns to the all-time Premier League scorers’ table. The Holy Grail. Littered with some of the greats of yesteryear; Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Thierry Henry among the top 10.
Kane’s penalty in the 2-1 win over Brighton saw him draw level with former Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand on 149 Premier League goals.
With a leaky West Brom side up next, Kane will be odds on to surpass Ferdinand by the start of next week.
But the road to No 1 supremacy is long. It’s 111 goals long, to be precise. It’s 112 if he wants to surpass Shearer.
At the same age, Shearer had 139 goals in the top-flight and so he appears ahead of the curve with 149.
Wayne Rooney performed even better, he had 159 by age 28 and yet his goal returns dwindled and the current Derby County forward remains second with 208.
Aside from Kane there is just one active player in the current top 10 and that’s Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine is in the conversation for greatest foreign player in Premier League history and his 180 goals helps that argument.
But Aguero, now 32, is battling against his body and Kane will believe if he can remain fit, he can surpass Aguero’s eventual tally given he is four years younger.
The ultimate target is Shearer’s record. It’s what all elite-level strikers in England aspire to beat.
Many world class talents have tried. None have succeeded.
But Shearer revealed recently it has been discussed with Kane that he could be next in line on the thrown
Kane (left, celebrating his 200th goal) needs 111 in the league to equal Shearer’s achievement
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho (right) says Kane has already established himself as a legend
He told The Athletic: ‘Whenever I’ve met [Kane] and spoken to him, we’ve had a good laugh about that.
‘There are a lot of ifs and buts but Harry has got the best chance of doing it.
‘He needs 115 more to beat me. And he’s twenty-seven. So that’s 20 to 25 goals over the next five seasons. Harry’s going to have a really good go at it.
‘A lot of it will come down to how many games he plays. You’ve got to steer clear of injuries.’
For most strikers hitting 200 goals is something to shout from the rooftops about – but not Kane. His ambitions go even bigger. Now eyes are locked on Greaves and Shearer. Surpass those and he’ll be assured of his place in history.