Harry Kane is at the top of his game right now after hitting five goals in England's first four World Cup matches in the USA
Joe Cole believes Harry Kane is getting more respect because he is no longer playing for Tottenham Hotspur. Kane, 32, scored a fantastic brace to save England from World Cup humiliation against DR Congo.
The Three Lions' skipper took his tournament tally to five goals, just one behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Kane's goal-scoring follows another breath-taking campaign for Bayern Munich, which saw him contribute 61 goals and seven assists in 51 appearances.
The striker has since been tipped to win the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year with his performances. Cole, albeit speaking tongue in cheek, believes Kane is getting more respect because he is also playing for Bayern Munich instead of Tottenham.
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Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, when asked if the world is opening their eyes up to Kane's quality, Cole said: "Do you know what? That's the problem with us [England], it ain't till he's gone to Germany and smashed it.
"Germans have gone 'wow' that he's getting his flowers now because he's been, arguably... I'm blaming Tottenham. I blame 'em for most things, but we've not ever appreciated him until now and he's standing on the shoulders of everyone."
At Tottenham, Kane helped himself to 280 goals and 63 assists in 435 appearances for the north Londoners. While he did compete in the 2019 Champions League final, he left Spurs without winning a major trophy.
Kane is on the verge of besting his best World Cup tally, the six goals he scored in the 2018 World Cup. However, the striker insists England's progress will be about everybody making a vital contribution of their own, no matter what form he is in.
After the win, Kane said: "It feels amazing to be honest. What a crazy game. First and foremost we were playing against a tough team, an organised team.
"We went behind but after the first hydration break we upped the level and looked good. Their keeper made some unbelievable saves.
"It was about keep pounding and our moment will come. We spoke about people having hero moments, whether it is me, a save from Pickford, a block from the defenders, whoever it is."
Kane will need to take that form into Monday, when the Three Lions step into the sky-high cauldron that is the, quite literally, breath-taking Azteca Stadium. They will be up against a Mexico side, who have won all four games without conceding a goal, and will also be cheered on by 87,000 home supporters.