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'Maybe he's not that guy' - Harry Kane attribute questioned by Lukas Podolski

talksport.com, 6 December 2024, 14:45
Harry Kane's footballing ability has been questioned by former Bayern Munich and Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Podolski, whilst having high praise for Kane's prowess in front of goal, was not entirely sold on his all-round football skills.

Speaking at an EA event in Cologne, the ex-Germany international explained: "I think not only this season but last season he scored like 40 goals, so don't always give such a high target to players.

"We are used to having [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi, who scored like 70, 80 goals per season, so now if you score 30 or 40 it's not enough anymore.

"I think [Kane] is one of the greatest strikers in our history, he scores goals, but maybe he's not that guy who is outstanding with his performances.

"But he's there to score goals, he's always in the box, he always smells something."

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Speaking of Bayern Munich's history of elite goalscorers, Podolski said: "Bayern have always had top strikers, [Robert] Lewandoski before and now Kane.

"He's continued what he was doing at Tottenham and for the national team."

Lewandowski scored 344 goals in 375 games at Bayern Munich across nine years. He is now at Barcelona, where he has notched a further 81 goals in 115 games since he moved to the Spanish side two years ago.

Podolski spent three years at Bayern Munich, joining them from FC Koln in 2006. He scored 26 goals and assisted 20 during his time there.

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His only stint in the Premier League came at Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal, netting 31 times and assisting 15 under Arsene Wenger.

Kane has scored 64 goals and registered 21 assists for Bayern Munich in 64 matches so far for the German giants.

He moved from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023 after 13 years in London.

His £86.4million [€100m] signing made him the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history, surpassing Lucas Hernandez's £66.2m [€80m] move in 2019.

Podolski, 39, retired from the national team in 2017 after scoring the winning goal in a friendly game against England.

He retired with 130 caps - the fourth most in German history - and as their third-highest goalscorer, with 49.

He started the 2024/25 season playing with Polish top-flight side Gornik Zabrze and had even scored two goals this term, but decided to call time on his career in October.

He then returned to boyhood club FK Koln for a tearful testimonial match, making his final appearance on the field in a game featuring fellow Germany legends Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels and Joachim Low.

He represented Germany at international level and scored the fastest goal in their history with a strike just nine seconds into a match against Ecuador in a friendly in May 2013.

He ended his career with a glittering trophy cabinet, winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014, the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2014 and the Bundesliga title when at Bayern Munich in 2007/08.

Lukas Podolski was speaking at an EA FC Futures event, with EA helping fund grassroots level development of young boys and girls around the world

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