Kane aims to emulate consistency of Messi and Ronaldo - and treats Spurs team-mates to a night out!

Harry Kane has expressed his pride after finishing 2017 as Europe’s top goalscorer – and the Tottenham hitman is now aiming to emulate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by topping the continental chart on a regular basis.

After successive hat-tricks against Burnley and Southampton, Kane has racked up 56 strikes for club and country in the calendar year.

That is more than both Messi (54) and Ronaldo (53), who had previously held a dual monopoly over that particular gong – one of them had been Europe’s leading marksman in each of the seven previous years, dating back to 2010.

READ MORE: Kane hits treble as he eclipses Shearer and Messi records

READ MORE: Harry Kane – the 2017 goal machine

Kane has also broken Alan Shearer’s record for Premier League goals in a calendar year, with his tally of 39 surpassing Shearer’s total of 36 in 1995 – but outscoring Messi and Ronaldo over the last 12 months has made the Spurs man particularly proud.

“They’re both great records but the club and country one is good as it shows I’m doing it at all levels – in the Champions League and with England, not just in one competition,” said Kane. “That’s one I’m very proud of.

“When you look at Messi and Ronaldo, I’ve obviously still got a long way to go before I can be compared to them, but it’s a start and that’s what I want to do – keep improving and be up there one day.

“That’s always the goal – to be bracketed with the best players in the world. Messi and Ronaldo have set that standard for so long now.

“To nick ahead is something I’m proud of and it’s just the start for me. I want to do it year in, year out. They’ve done it for eight, nine years now so be classed in that bracket, that’s what I’ve got to do. That’s my aim.

“Whatever it is, I’ll keep looking for one per cent to get better. It’s so important in the Premier League – that’s the difference between winning and losing sometimes. If I can keep myself fit and healthy, we’ll see what happens.”

Spurs fans continue to chant ‘he’s just a one-season wonder’ at their prolific frontman, casting ironic scorn on those who believed he would struggle to replicate his achievements in 2015-16, when he won his first Premier League Golden Boot.

Kane is now on course to win the prize for the third season in a row, having moved three goals ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah at the top of the table.

“I’ve always said that when people doubt me I want to prove them wrong,” he said. “Whether it’s at a young age or now, that’s just my mindset, something in me since a young age. It’s a funny song for our fans to sing and I’ll keep doing it for nine, 10 seasons and see where it takes me.

“It’s been a great year. The birth of my daughter as well was amazing, and hopefully 2018 will be ever better.

“I’ll have to take the boys out for a meal somewhere. I’ll have to figure something out – nowhere too expensive! I’ll ask the lads what they enjoy and we’ll go and have a good time.

“It’s a good way to end the year for me personally and for the team as well. I’ll enjoy the moment and the focus goes to Swansea in a week’s time.

“I’ve always said team trophies are what I want to achieve. We’ve got a good chance to win the FA Cup. In the Champions League we’ve shown we can beat the best and we’ve got to see how far we can go in that – and obviously in the Premier League we’re in a fight for the top four and we’ve got to see how high we can get.

“There’s a lot to play for, and for me it’s about winning trophies.”

READ MORE: Ill Kane is a concern for Tottenham

READ MORE: Fulham star linked with Real Madrid as Manchester United watch on

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris is delighted for Kane and, although the Frenchman feels his team-mate may now have to shoulder even greater expectations from the outside world, he is backing him to go from strength to strength.

“He’s up there and he deserves all the praise at the moment,” said the skipper. “Now the most difficult is coming because he has to stick to this level – but with his mentality and his quality I have no doubts. He’s one of the best and he’s going to keep showing it.

“The perception from outside is different now. He’s got another consideration from the fans, from the media. But I think he has his head on his shoulders and he has a lot of humility, and that’s the key.

“He will keep working hard and I’m sure he will keep breaking records because that’s his mentality.
“He always wants to improve himself. Even if he scores one goal in the game, he wants to score two or three. He’s a goal machine and it’s his target when he’s on the pitch – he’s just focused on that.

“He’s the best example for all the young players in the academy because he’s got the right mentality and to be honest I’m very pleased for him, because he deserves it.”

Lloris added: “He believes in himself a lot. That’s the most important thing. It means he’s able to do fantastic things, with his passion and hard work.

“In football, when there is a record you always try to break it. It’s true that players like Messi and Cristiano Ronadlo, it’s difficult to catch them – but Harry is up there, and he’s still a young player with better things to achieve.

“I’ve never played with a striker able to score so many goals in a year. I’ve played with a lot of top strikers and he’s the best I’ve played with.”

Follow me on Twitter @BenPearceSpurs and visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BenPearceSpurs/