Wayne Rooney has hailed Harry Kane’s evolution as “remarkable,” comparing the England captain’s growth to Cristiano Ronaldo’s transformation during his early spell at Manchester United. The former Three Lions skipper believes Kane has already earned his place among England’s greatest ever players and insists he’s still got more records to smash.
Kane, now 30, is enjoying one of the most prolific spells of his career at Bayern Munich. He’s bagged 44 goals in 45 games in his debut season in Germany, numbers that would raise eyebrows even in Ronaldo and Messi territory. For England, the striker remains the go to man, racking up 63 goals in 90 caps, already outscoring legends like Wayne Rooney, Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker.
Speaking on The Overlap, Rooney suggested Kane could eventually top England charts beyond just goals, putting him in contention with names like Peter Shilton and Bobby Moore in terms of all time influence.
Rooney said Kane’s confidence and willingness to shoot from awkward angles reminds him of a young Cristiano Ronaldo, who developed a ruthless goalscoring instinct after switching from a flashy winger to a pure finisher.
“He’s gone from a clever No.9 who drops deep to a complete forward who scores from anywhere,” Rooney hinted, noting Kane’s improvement year on year rather than a sudden spike like other strikers.
Jamie Carragher also weighed in, saying Kane remains underrated despite delivering stats “right up there with Messi and Ronaldo” in recent seasons. Carragher argued that Kane’s lack of Champions League medals or league titles means he isn’t always mentioned in global debates, but on raw output, he belongs in the same conversation.
Kane’s next big milestone is international silverware, with England eyeing a deep run at the 2026 World Cup and Rooney confident that Kane will lead the charge.
If the trajectory continues, Kane may not just go down as England’s greatest finisher but as one of the defining footballers of his generation.