Harry Kane can make a lasting legacy at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane can cement a historic legacy for himself if he commits his future to Spurs and remains with the North London outfit.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has thoroughly silenced any and all remaining critics who referred to him as a “penalty merchant,” “tap-in artist” or “one-season wonder.” The Spurs front man won the Premier League Golden Boot for the 2015-16 campaign, and he successfully held onto that crown after netting 29 tallies this past season.

Kane is unquestionably the best goal-scorer in England, and that he turns 24 years old this coming July seems to indicate he hasn’t yet reached the peak of his skills.

Life came at those who lashed out at Kane rather quickly, as they’ve recently been forced to change their tunes regarding the player’s future. In their eyes, Kane went from being a player unworthy of featuring for any top-tier club to one who “must” make a move from Tottenham to one of the giants of European football in order to truly reach his ceiling. Such individuals routinely link Kane with clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester United.

Ignore, for a moment, that we’re talking about real life and not an edition of FIFA where players leave teams without emotions affecting decisions and where club chairmen aren’t tough negotiators, and focus on what such a transfer would mean for Spurs.

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Tottenham are not in a place to be a selling club regarding any of their stars. Kane isn’t leaving Spurs in 2017, and it’s hard to imagine Tottenham being willing to sell him before they open their brand new stadium (hopefully) before the start of the 2018-19 season.

With that said, even the most passionate Tottenham supporter would, if he was being honest with himself, have to admit it seems to be only a matter of time before Kane leaves Spurs. Money talks, so the old adage goes, and the harsh reality for Tottenham here is that a bigger club could offer Kane higher wages than what he will ever earn playing for Spurs. Kane could speak with Gareth Bale and Luka Modric about this aspect of his future when the time comes.

Money isn’t everything, though, and Bale’s story could serve as a cautionary tale for Kane as he contemplates where he wants to play his football at the start of the coming decade. Yes, Bale has won every trophy there is to lift as a member of Real Madrid, but it’s not a stretch to suggest the switch wasn’t the easiest for the Wales international. Most notably, Bale has dealt with multiple injury setbacks and also a fair share of criticism from media and fans over the past several years.

Remember, also, what life could’ve have been like for Bale had he remained at White Hart Lane. Bale was set to become the face of the Premier League across the world, particularly in the United States where he featured on a billboard wearing a Tottenham shirt in Times Square. Bale may not have made as much in club wages, but he certainly wouldn’t have found himself pinching pennies had he stayed with Spurs for even another year or two.

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Bale will never become the worldwide superstar he could’ve been as the top man at Tottenham. He’s routinely overshadowed in advertisements and social media posts by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar. The perception exists Modric is the better overall footballer among the two former Spurs players.

As much greatness as he has achieved with Real, Bale could’ve been that much more had he helped Tottenham win a Premier League title during the club’s current rise to the top portions of the table. Bale could’ve become a hero worthy of a statue outside of the team’s new world-class stadium and of being showcased on Tottenham tours of America and other countries.

Kane finds himself in a situation similar to what Bale experienced four years ago. Tottenham are on the cusp of something special, and Kane is the club’s most important and most recognized star. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kane’s face on the covers of video games and in international advertising campaigns before 2020 assuming he continues finding the back of the net better than any other Premier League player.

Barring a catastrophe or other unforeseen occurrence, Kane will become Tottenham’s greatest ever Premier League scorer soon. That, in itself, is a fine legacy, but his resume could become all the more impressive if he is a key man who helps Spurs leapfrog Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and other clubs en route to winning a major trophy.

Depending on how you view things, Kane may already be a better Tottenham player than Bale ever was while at Spurs. Kane could become a bigger star than Bale if he chooses to chase a legacy at Tottenham, and that may be worth more than a contract offered by any other club.