Former Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur would be a mid-table side without the goals of Harry Kane this season.
The 21-year-old's tally currently stands at 30 goals in all competitions, while the England international striker is the Premier League's joint-top goalscorer with 20 alongside Chelsea's Diego Costa.
Leicester City coach Phillips, who was the last Englishman to net 30 Premier League goals in a campaign with Sunderland back in the 1999-2000 season, says that he is pleased by Kane's exploits but has warned that it is too early to start comparing the youngster to some of the country's greats.
"I would love to see Harry go on and win it, and good luck to him," Phillips told The Mirror. "Now the big question is whether he can keep it up. In 1999-2000, I scored 30 goals in the Premier League and the following year I was called a failure when I scored 18, which I thought was very harsh.
"To score 18 goals a season in any major league now is a success. I don't think Harry needs to score 20 goals next year not to be called a failure because times have changed. But he's had an outstanding season, he's been fantastic, and he's done it the hard way - because speaking to the people at Leicester, he wasn't a great success when he came here on loan.
"He's been incredible, especially with the pressure at a big club like Tottenham. He's carried them this year - without Harry's goals, they may only have been mid-table. When I look at young strikers coming through, he is the future of English football. But the next Alan Shearer, as some people are talking? Let's not get too carried away, let's see what happens next year."
Kane netted his 30th goal of the campaign in the 3-1 victory at Newcastle United on Sunday.
Steven Toplis
