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Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven is reportedly not among the highest-earners at the club, and the north London outfit have to prioritise tieing him down to a new deal immediately.

Van de Ven played a crucial role in Spurs' 3-0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday evening, scoring twice from set-pieces in the first half to give his side a comfortable lead going into the break. The Dutch centre-back has been a key player for the club since his arrival, and he's undoubtedly one of the first names on the team sheet when fit.

Van de Ven made the move to Spurs during the summer transfer window in 2023, signing on the dotted line for a fee of around £43m from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. Described as 'exceptional' by former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp, losing Van de Ven won't be on the wishlist of Spurs and Thomas Frank, and it could be time to be thinking about a new contract.

Tottenham Must Tie Down Micky Van De Ven ASAP

Tottenham now have to be looking to extend Van de Ven's contract, and more important, offering him new and increased terms after the news that emerged this week. The Evening Standard have claimed that Van de Ven isn't believed to be among the highest earners at Tottenham, and considering his importance to the side, that's perhaps unfair.

Van de Ven doesn't appear to be pushing for a departure, but Spurs need to offer him a more lucrative contract to prevent his head from turning. The report from The Evening Standard also adds that Spanish giants Real Madrid have also been linked with a move.

It's a bit of a worrying situation for Tottenham, who are signing a host of new players who could be earning more than Van de Ven, despite the Dutch defender being arguably one of their most important players. Potential interest from Madrid is also a concern, so Spurs need to immediately prioritise offering Van de Ven a new deal, putting him on a similar salary to their highest earners at the club.

Tottenham Hotspur would regret making a hasty decision on Dominic Solanke's future following a frustrating campaign so far.

The striker moved to north London in a deal worth £60million and enjoyed an excellent first season on an individual level after scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists in 45 games.

While glory in the Europa League masked Spurs' woeful campaign in the Premier League, Solanke's total output offered reassurance going into the new season with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou.

Unfortunately for Solanke though, the current season has been nothing short of a disaster.

Solanke Must Not Be Judged On Injury-Hit Season

Solanke's campaign has been blighted by injury with an ankle problem hampering his season so far. A substitute in Tottenham's first three games this season, the striker hasn't featured since August 23 when he played 12 minutes of the 2-0 away victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Reports from Football Insider have claimed that head coach Thomas Frank has been 'unimpressed' with what he's seen from Solanke so far this season. As a result, it's claimed that Spurs would like to sign a new frontman in the January transfer window. However, it's accepted that this is a deal that could be tricky to pull off midway through the season.

While Spurs could benefit from additional firepower, it seems premature to suggest that Frank isn't a fan of Solanke, given that injury has meant he's only been handed 49 minutes of action this term.

Elsewhere, Richarlison, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani have struggled with just four goals between them in all competitions.

While the £60m spent on Solanke was a huge outlay, it would be incredibly harsh for him to be written off as a flop based on one troublesome ankle injury. He was consistently available last term and rewarded Spurs with a significant contribution in terms of goals and assists, highlighting that offloading him in January would be a big mistake.

Frank revealed that Solanke was progressing well in his quest to return to fitness and, if anything, it feels like the opportunity is there for the 28-year-old to truly cement that starting striker role upon his return, given the poor contributions of his positional rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘leading the way’ to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand, Portuguese newspaper Record has claimed (via Sport Witness).

The North London side are believed to be among the clubs preparing a bid for the 26-year-old, who has numerous suitors after impressive two-and-a-half years in Portugal.

Getting Hjulmand, however, is not seen as an easy task for any of the interested clubs, as Sporting are in a strong negotiating position, with the midfielder under contract until June 2028.

Sporting rebuffed bids in the summer for the Denmark international and are unlikely to negotiate a fee below his reported €80m (£70m) release clause.

Nevertheless, the Portuguese champions are expecting interest in Hjulmand during the January transfer window, with Tottenham and other clubs keeping an eye on the midfielder.

Tottenham Eyeing Move for Morten Hjulmand

According to Record, Sporting have an agreement with Hjulmand for him to remain at the club until the end of the season – the 26-year-old will reportedly receive a cash bonus if that happens.

However, the Portuguese club are aware of Tottenham’s interest in the midfielder and are expecting ‘headaches’ in January in a bid to retain their captain.

Hjulmand was linked with a departure during the summer transfer window, but Sporting refused to entertain any exit talks following Viktor Gyokeres’ move to Arsenal.

According to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Fabrizio Romano, the Portuguese club never opened the door to Hjulmand’s exit as they did not want to sell any of their key players following Gyokeres’ departure.

Hjulmand was made Sporting captain before the 2024/25 season following Sebastian Coates’ exit and has been an important part of Sporting’s squad in back-to-back league winning seasons.

The Denmark international, praised as an ‘absolute monster’, has made 110 appearances for the Portuguese side to date, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Hjulmand has won 23 caps for Denmark to date, scoring his only goal in the 1-1 draw with England at Euro 2024.

Tottenham are likely to make changes to their midfield in 2026, with Yves Bissouma’s contract expiring at the end of the campaign.

The Mali international has yet to feature for the North London side this term and underwent ankle surgery this month after picking up an injury during the international break.

Tottenham Hotspur surely have to continue starting Randal Kolo Muani following his display against Everton.

Entering the game off the back of a draw with Monaco in the Champions League, which itself followed a 2-1 Premier League defeat against Aston Villa, it did not take Thomas Frank's team long to break the deadlock. From a corner, Micky van de Ven rose highest to nod the ball beyond Jordan Pickford.

The Dutch centre-back was the unlikely scorer of a brace when, deep into first-half stoppage time, he netted from another corner in a similar manner to his first goal of the game. Despite Everton's attempts to mount a comeback, they were prevented from scoring in what was their first loss at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr netted a third in the game's dying embers, ensuring that the points would return to North London with Spurs. The Lilywhites, after five away games, have a near-perfect record on the road, having won four and drawn one of those matches. Against the Toffees, one player in particular made a very strong impression with the chance he was given.

Kolo Muani Must Continue Starting

Signing for Spurs late in the summer transfer window on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, Kolo Muani made his first Premier League start against David Moyes' side, having previously made an appearance off the bench in Tottenham's loss to Aston Villa.

A French international who earns £150,000 per week, Kolo Muani enjoyed an impressive game against Everton. The striker consistently linked play in Tottenham's forward line, working well with fellow attacking players Xavi Simons, Mohamed Kudus and Brennan Johnson.

Kolo Muani was substituted for Richarlison after just over an hour of play, but made a genuine case that he should be starting for Spurs whenever he is fit. Though he did not score, the forward offered more for the Lilywhites than fellow strikers Richarlison and Mathys Tel have done in recent games.

Though he has struggled to earn a place in the PSG first team, Kolo Muani enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Juventus in the second half of the 2024/25 season. This form is something, no doubt, Spurs will be hoping Kolo Muani replicates as the season goes on.

Tottenham Hotspur's astute acquisition of Kevin Danso has gone under the radar, and the Austrian is proving to be an excellent piece of business.

Danso arrived at Spurs initially on loan last January before making a permanent £21m move from Lens and has served as backup to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. He has come into Thomas Frank's starting lineup over the past week after an injury to Romero.

The 27-year-old impressed in a 3-0 win away to Everton on Sunday (October 26), rarely putting a foot wrong as Frank's men moved up to third in the table. Van de Ven's brace means the Dutchman will get all the plaudits, but his defensive partner was just as influential.

Everton 0-3 Tottenham: Danso Deserves His Flowers

Spurs have now won five of their nine opening league games and the victory over the Toffees was a statement of intent. Van de Ven grabbed himself a delightful first-half double before Pape Matar Sarr struck late on.

It wasn't the quietest of afternoons for Guglielmo Vicario, and he was kept busy, at the other end of the pitch, building on his man-of-the-match performance midweek against AS Monaco. But the Italian goalkeeper was helped out by a dogged display from his defenders, including Danso, whose showing didn't go unnoticed.

Jamie Redknapp spoke highly of the Austrian when asked whether Spurs have themselves a bargain. He told Sky Sports: "When you look at the current market, £20m from Lens is not that expensive. He's quick, he's aggressive. He's coming in, not always going to start games... but he adds so much to the team."

Danso made his 10th appearance of the season, just his second as a starter in the league, and was faultless, giving Frank a happy headache ahead of Romero's return from injury. Even if he does head back to the bench for his skipper, he'll have shown his manager he can be relied upon and even turned to if one of his favoured defensive duo loses form or fitness.

Spurs relied on the former Southampton man to throw himself in the way of a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall effort, one of two blocks he made. He also made 18 clearances while completing both of his ground duels and all four of his aerial duels.

Frank will want to see him continue giving him food for thought when his side takes on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (October 29). It's then the biggest match of the season thus far when they host Chelsea on November 1 where the Lilywhites could pour more misery on Enzo Maresca's beleaguered Blues.

Tottenham defeated Everton 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday evening.

The hosts had the first big opportunity of the match in the fourth minute, and they really should've taken it. Iliman Ndiaye put a brilliant chipped cross into the box, and his delivery fell perfectly to Jack Grealish, who volleyed the ball first time, but his powerful effort was blocked on the line by Pedro Porro. If Grealish had aimed his shot quite literally anywhere else, Everton would've taken a 1-0 lead, but he instead aimed it right at the Spaniard, although it was a very good and important block.

In the 19th minute, Everton were made to pay for their early missed opportunity, as Tottenham took the lead. Mohammed Kudus lofted an excellent corner deep to the back post, and to meet the delivery was Rodrigo Bentancur, who headed it across to Micky van de Ven, who was just yards out, and the big Dutchman headed the ball into the bottom corner to give his side a 1-0 lead. Everton were defensively poor for the goal, as they were too slow to get out to Bentancur, and van de Ven was also unchallenged

Shortly after Tottenham took the lead, Everton had the ball in the back of the net to make it 1-1, but their goal was disallowed. Jake O'Brien converted a bullet header past Guglielmo Vicario into the back of the net, but upon review of the goal, Ndiaye was in an offside position, and he appeared to be in the way of the goalkeeper. Therefore, the goal was disallowed. David Moyes and the Everton backroom staff were visibly furious with the decision, and you can't really blame them, as it was very controversial.

In the 51st minute, right before half-time, Tottenham doubled their lead to two goals. Exactly like their first goal, their second came from another corner, and once again, it was defensively poor by the hosts. Porro whipped an excellent cross into the box, but once again there, unchallenged, was van de Ven, who headed it into the back of the net. Jordan Pickford was in no man's land as he tried to come out to make himself big, but instead, what he did was costly and pretty much gifted the Dutchman a free header.

The first half came to a close with Tottenham leading 2-0.

The first big chance of the second half came in the 54th minute, and Beto almost scored a spectacular goal. The big striker met Ndiaye's cross with an overhead kick, which he managed to get on target, but Vicario was equal to it and produced a brilliant save to protect Tottenham's 2-0 lead.

In the 89th minute, Tottenham secured all three points, as Pape Sarr scored to make it 3-0. Porro found Richarlison with a brilliant cross in the box, and the Brazilian headed it across the box to Sarr, who placed his header past Pickford to secure all three points for his side.

Sarr's goal was the last action of the match, and Tottenham saw out the match to win 3-0.

Match Highlights

Everton Player Ratings

GK: Jordan Pickford - 5/10

Probably could've done more and could've been stronger for Tottenham's opening two goals, as they were relatively simple set pieces. For van de Ven's second goal, the England number one was pretty much in no man's land.

RB: Jake O'Brien - 6.5/10

Was very unfortunate to have his headed goal ruled out. The Irishman was fine defensively, but outside of his disallowed goal, he offered very little going forward.

CB: James Tarkowski - 6/10

Struggled when coming up against the pacy Spurs attackers. Despite seeing plenty of the ball, Tarkowski didn't really do anything with it to get his side further up the pitch, which affected their performance.

CB: Michael Keane - 6.5/10

Produced plenty of headed clearances and blocks, but looked shaky defensively, quite like Tarkowski, when having to deal with the pace and trickery of Tottenham's attackers.

LB: Vitaliy Mykolenko - 5.5/10

Defensively timid and didn't really offer anything going forward. The Ukrainian was also quite sloppy in possession of the ball.

CM: Idrissa Gana-Gueye - 6/10

Solid defensively and worked hard in midfield, but was pretty average in possession of the ball and didn't want to take any risks to get his side forward.

CM: James Garner - 7.5/10

Whipped some good crosses into Tottenham's penalty area, but his teammates weren't able to meet them. Garner was almost faultless in possession and worked his socks off in the middle of the park.

AM: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - 5.5/10

Ran a lot and worked hard, but didn't produce a thing in the final third despite playing in the number 10 role.

RW: Iliman Ndiaye - 7.5/10

Tried his best to make things happen in the final third, but a lot of the chances he created, his teammates weren't at the end of. Ndiaye put a lot of good crosses into the box and regularly threatened with his pace and trickery.

ST: Beto - 5.5/10

Outside of coming close in the second half to scoring a brilliant overhead kick, the big striker didn't really contribute much and was dealt with quite easily by the Tottenham defenders.

LW: Jack Grealish - 7/10

Like his fellow Everton player on the right wing, Grealish also put in a decent performance, but a lot of what he created couldn't be converted by his teammates.

SUB: Thierno Barry - N/A

Didn't do much after coming on.

SUB: Merlin Rohl - N/A

Didn't do much after coming on.

SUB: Carlos Alcaraz - N/A

Didn't do much after coming on.

Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings

GK: Guglielmo Vicario - 8/10

Produced two really good saves in the second half and was a key part in Tottenham seeing out the victory.

RB: Pedro Porro - 8/10

Provided a brilliant assist for van de Ven's second goal and also had a huge part to play in Tottenham's third goal as well. Porro was defensively shaky at times, but going forward, he was excellent.

CB: Kevin Danso - 8/10

Caused a lot of problems for Tottenham going forward with his long throws, but he was also defensively excellent. The Austrian produced a countless number of blocks and clearances, which helped Tottenham secure all three points.

CB: Micky van de Ven - 9/10 (Man of the Match)

The best player on the pitch. Not only did the Dutchman score two headed goals, but he was also excellent defensively and very good with the ball at his feet.

LB: Djed Spence - 6.5/10

Struggled defensively at times against Ndiaye, but he stayed resilient and didn't really put a foot majorly wrong.

CM: Joao Palhinha - 7.5/10

Worked his socks off in the midfield and provided a lot of defensive support for his side.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur - 8/10

Provided an assist for van de Ven's opening goal, and like his midfield partner, Palhinha, he was also defensively very good and worked hard.

AM: Mohammed Kudus - 7.5/10

Outstanding in the first half but quiet in the second. Kudus whipped plenty of very good crosses into the box, one of which had a huge part to play in Tottenham's first goal.

RW: Brennan Johnson - 7/10

Didn't see that much of the ball, but when he did, he made things happen in the final third and got the better of Mykolenko more often than not.

ST: Randal Kolo Muani - 7/10

Although he was often isolated up front on his own, Kolo Muani did brilliantly well to create his own chances by working hard and stretching the Everton defence with his pace and movement.

LW: Xavi Simons - 5.5/10

Hardly produced anything in the final third and was dealt with quite easily by O'Brien.

SUB: Lucas Bergvall - N/A

Didn't do much after coming on.

SUB: Richarlison - 7.5/10

Had an instant impact on the match. The Brazilian provided a good assist for Sarr's goal and also came close to scoring a goal himself.

SUB: Pape Sarr - 7.5/10

Made an instant impact off the bench, scoring Everton's third goal.

SUB: Mathys Tel - N/A

Didn't do much after coming on.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara has questioned Xavi Simons after another underwhelming display for the club, this time against Everton,

Simons was given a start by Thomas Frank, but he was substituted in the second half at the Hill Dickinson Stadium after struggling to make an impact. The Dutch attacking midfielder made the move to north London during the summer transfer window, but it's safe to say that Spurs supporters haven't seen the best of him yet.

Simons is still adapting to life in a new country and a different league, and he's found it difficult to show what he is made of. Frank has taken him in and out of the side over the last few months, and he's trying to find a solution to getting the best out of him, but it's not quite working just yet.

Jamie O'Hara Slams Tottenham Star Xavi Simons

Speaking during the game against Everton on X, O'Hara, on two separate occasions, questioned the impact of Simons for Spurs. Firstly, the former Tottenham midfielder said 'what is he playing at' in the first half, before another post after the break when Simons was substituted...

Simons is becoming a bit of a problem for Frank at the moment, as there's undoubtedly pressure for him to be played, considering Spurs invested heavily in him in the summer transfer window. The Danish manager has to find a way of getting the best out of him, as Tottenham will benefit from him flourishing.

Everton host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday as the Toffees look to continue their unbeaten record at their new stadium.

David Moyes' side are hoping to bounce back after a 2-0 defeat against Manchester City last time out, the first game they've been forced to deal with new star man Jack Grealish being unavailable. Spurs endured a 0-0 draw away at Monaco in the Champions League during the week, with their previous Premier League game ending in a 2-1 victory to Aston Villa.

GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at the team news for both sides and how they could line up on Sunday...

Everton Team News

Everton recently confirmed that English defender Jarrad Branthwaite had suffered a setback with a recent hamstring injury, and he's now undergone surgery, meaning he's set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Nathan Patterson has also recently been unavailable, while Merlin Rohl returned to action against Manchester City last week.

Grealish missed the trip to the Etihad due to being unable to play against his parent club.

Speaking to the media ahead of their game against Tottenham, Moyes said...

"We had him [Branthwaite] back, we had him back in full training. We expected him to be very close for Man City, but it just didn’t feel quite right, so we got it checked and got some work done on it. We won’t put a timescale on it. We’ll give him a chance to heal and take his time. Patto [Patterson] had a plantar fascia tear in his foot, which he picked up in the game against Bradford for the Under-21s. It is probably going to keep him out for a couple of weeks. In that period, he’s had a little bit of an issue with his hernia, so we’re probably going to get it tidied up while he’s out with his plantar fascia.”

Everton Predicted XI:

Everton Predicted XI: Pickford; O'Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto.

Everton Predicted Substitutes: Travers (GK), Aznou (DEF), Coleman (DEF), Rohl (MID), Iroegbunam (MID), McNeil (MID), Alcaraz (MID), Dibling (FWD), Barry (FWD).

Grealish is likely to come straight back into the starting XI for the Toffees, but that could be their only change from the game against Man City. Rohl is pushing for his first start after some impressive cameos, but he might have to watch on from the bench this weekend.

Beto and Thierno Barry is another decision Moyes has to make ahead of the game, but the former is likely to keep his place in the XI.

Tottenham Team News

Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke have been on the treatment table over the last couple of games, and they aren't expected to return for their trip to Merseyside. Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are long-term absentees for the capital club, and it could be a while before we see them.

Randal Kolo Muani made more progress with his fitness earlier in the week, coming off the bench against Monaco in the Champions League.

Speaking to the media ahead of Tottenham's clash with Everton, Frank said...

“Yes, Cuti just walked out on the grass running, some of the performance guys, so positive, progressing, no time frame, but I don’t expect it to be a longer one. Destiny is not on the grass yet, but still progressing, so again, not a longer one. With Dominic, it’s positive, he’s taking steps in the right direction every day, was on the grass again today on his own, but has now a sustainable amount of pitch sessions in him on his own, so it’s progressing forward.”

Tottenham Predicted XI

Tottenham Predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha, Simons; Kudus, Kolo Muani, Odobert.

Tottenham Predicted Substitutes: Kinsky (GK), Byfield (DEF), Sarr (MID), Gray (MID), Bergvall (MID), Tel (FWD), Johnson (FWD), Richarlison (FWD), Scarlett (FWD).

Kolo Muani could make his first start for Spurs as he edges closer to full fitness. Xavi Simons could come back into the starting XI for Lucas Bergvall, while Djed Spence is likely to replace Archie Gray at left-back.

It hasn’t taken long for the cracks to start showing at Tottenham under new boss Thomas Frank, as the Lilywhites were held to a goalless draw against Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday night. What began as an exciting new era in north London has, in recent weeks, started to resemble the familiar humdrum of seasons past.

Daniel Levy’s departure over the summer seemed to signal a fresh start, and optimism was high after a flurry of eye-catching signings - Xavi Simons turned down interest from Chelsea to join the club, while Mohammed Kudus also arrived to bolster the squad. See the breakdown of their arrivals below:

Early-season form, including impressive 2-0 and 3-0 away wins at Manchester City and West Ham, hinted at something special taking shape. But reality has since bitten, reminding everyone that Tottenham’s rebuild efforts wasn't ever going to be completed overnight.

Home defeats to Bournemouth and Aston Villa, where Spurs managed just one goal across three hours of football, first sounded the alarm bells. And after another toothless display in Monaco, where chances were few and far between, Frank is now facing growing pressure to rethink his attack - with many urging him to cut ties with Richarlison after his drab midweek performance.

Thomas Frank Must Drop Richarlison After Dismal Monaco Display

A lack of consistency has been the main factor keeping Richarlison from evolving from a short-lived pipedream into the reliable talisman he once was at Everton. That issue has resurfaced this campaign: despite contributing to three goals in his first two Premier League appearances, he has managed only one goal in his following 11 outings across all competitions.

His performance against Monaco on Wednesday night may have been the final nail in the coffin for his time in London. Across 70 minutes, his single shot was blocked, he completed just six passes, and registered a concerning five unsuccessful touches that allowed the Ligue 1 side to regain possession. Spurs supporters are now urging the club’s hierarchy to act like a big club - being more ruthless about who stays and goes in future transfer windows. One X user remarked:

"Richarlison has to go now in January. It really annoys me when he just barely does anything. [Randal] Kolo Muani came on and was instantly doing better and doing more things."

"Sell Richarlison ASAP," another user wrote about the £90,000-per-week Brazilian star, as a third continued: "Richarlison should be told tonight he can f*** off for free. Just get out of our club." The fury over the starting striker was also made evident by a fourth supporter, who claimed:

"Richarlison shouldn’t get another minute this season, it’s like playing with 10 men. Drop him and sell him in January."

Worryingly for Frank, there aren’t many alternative options to Richarlison to lead the forward line at present. Dominic Solanke is the obvious choice to inject some excitement for Tottenham supporters, but he has recently undergone surgery on an ankle injury, leaving Randal Kolo Muani as the only other viable option.

On loan from Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman brings some European pedigree to the squad. While he hasn’t always proven to be a consistent goalscorer, many feel that giving him a chance is the least the Tottenham boss can do before January provides the hierarchy with an opportunity to reassess the striker situation.

Few strikers in the modern game, or indeed within football as a whole, can hold a candle to Harry Kane. The forward spent over a decade with Tottenham Hotspur, breaking into the first team under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, who became head coach of the club in 2014.

Despite Tottenham's struggles to win silverware across the 2010s, Kane consistently enjoyed stellar seasons for the Lilywhites, quickly becoming their focal point in attack with lethal finishing, exceptional ability on the ball and an incredible passing range.

Tottenham's failure to win any trophies was, ultimately, what led Kane to depart the club in 2023, doing so as the club's all-time top scorer. Since joining Bayern Munich, Kane has arguably become an even better forward, helping the Bavarians win a Bundesliga title in the 2024/25 season.

Kane Reveals Best Strikers of All Time

Recently, the Bayern forward, as per Planet Football, revealed which frontmen are, in his opinion, the best of all time, with the only caveat being that, as of 2025, the strikers have to be retired. As one of the best forwards in the world, it is safe to presume that Kane possesses the necessary skills to make such a judgement and understandably, listed some absolute stars.

Ronaldo Nazario

A two-time Ballon d'Or winner who first lifted the award at just 21 years old, Ronaldo Nazario was a superstar in every sense. He broke into European football with PSV, going onto represent Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan in a stellar career.

Ronaldo was heavily hampered by injuries during his time as a player, but is still, rightly, regarded as one of the all-time great forwards in football. It's an opinion shared by Kane, who once said:

"I think we're totally different players in the way we play, but ultimately, the way he used to finish was as good as anyone, as well as the way he moved with the ball. His dribbling ability, his movement. I think he was as good as anyone in the world.

"He had a lot more ability than me if I'm totally honest. He had good pace as well. But for me growing up, I tried to watch all the best strikers in the world and he was in his prime at the time. It was a joy to watch him and it's been nice to score a few goals myself and take a few bits from his game."

Wayne Rooney

Next mentioned by Kane was none other than Wayne Rooney, who carved out a legacy for himself with Manchester United after joining them from boyhood club Everton in 2004. Across 13 years, predominantly under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney won countless honours with the Red Devils.

Not only was Rooney an exceptional finisher, but similar to Kane, had an immense passing range, allowing him to play deeper on the pitch as an older player after losing a yard or two of his pace. He was England's record goalscorer until Kane usurped him in 2023.

Raul

Raul represented three clubs between 2010 and his retirement in 2015. Before that, the forward spent 16 years with Real Madrid, establishing himself as a legend of the Spanish juggernauts. No player has appeared in more games for Madrid than Raul, who finished as runner-up to the Ballon d'Or in 2001.

A winner of three Champions Leagues and six La Liga titles, Raul was a consistently brilliant forward, one who could aid his team in build-up just as much as he benefitted them by scoring at the rate he did.

"I loved watching Raul grow up in Real Madrid, clever player, great finisher."

Teddy Sheringham

Perhaps best remembered for his longevity as a player, Teddy Sheringham enjoyed a professional career that spanned a quarter of a century. The forward, who began his career with Millwall, was at his peak across the 1990s and early 2000s, when he played for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Sheringham was part of the Red Devils team that became the first-ever English club to win a European treble. Brilliant in front of goal, Sheringham was as comfortable on his own as he was with a partner, enabling him to enjoy the sensational career that he did.