"He is one of the greatest goal scorers the game has ever seen," former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on CBS Sports after watching Harry Kane score a brace in Bayern Munich's 3-1 Champions League win over Chelsea. "I think he is England's greatest ever goal scorer. He's done it in the Premier League with a team that aren't one of the top teams. He's gone abroad now with Bayern Munich. All eyes are on him and there's huge pressure.
"You think of strikers England have had in the past and there have been some great ones, but he's scored more goals for England than Alan Shearer. If he'd have stayed in the Premier League, he'd have got that record too. His numbers are off the scale. He can come deep, he can get on the ball and he can play people in. He's the best striker England have ever had."
It's impossible to argue with Carragher's assessment. Kane is, after all, the record scorer for both England and Tottenham, and a man who has won a grand total of seven Golden Boots across Premier League, Bundesliga, World Cup and European Championship competition. As if all that wasn't enough, he also has a European Golden Shoe on his resume.
A lack of team silverware was the only stick critics had left to beat Kane with, but after firing Bayern to Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup success this year, his greatness is not up for debate anymore. There is only the question of how high he will rank in football's Hall of Fame when he eventually hangs up his boots.
Now, reports are swirling that Kane will aim to enhance his legacy by returning to England next summer and breaking Shearer's Premier League goals record, with only 48 strikes needed for him to reach the magic mark. But that would pale in comparison to what he could still achieve at Bayern. Footballing immortality is within Kane's grasp, and he would be mad to trade in that opportunity for a romantic homecoming that ultimately promises nothing but mediocrity.