Martin Keown feels Tottenham striker Harry Kane has developed his game so much that he reminds him of Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.
Kane has been in fantastic form for Spurs so far this season, scoring five goals in six Premier League games, but even more remarkably providing eight assists.
The England captain has developed an incredible relationship with teammate Son Heung-min, with Kane playing as a centre-forward but also dropping deep to provide lethal through balls for the South Korean.
Kane’s ability to fall back from the front line, find space and pick out perfect assists is very reminiscent of Bergkamp, who is fifth on the all-time list of Premier League assists with 94.
Keown feels the Dutchman will always be technically superior to the Englishman, but Kane has gone a long way to replicating him.
‘What anyone who played with Dennis will say is that his service was outstanding. I’m now watching what Harry Kane is doing for Tottenham and, dare I say it, he is starting to remind me of my old team-mate,’ Keown wrote in the Daily Mail.
‘I’m not saying Kane is as technically gifted as Dennis – I don’t think anybody is. But the quality of the balls I’m seeing from the Spurs striker, and the way he is finding Son Heung-min, it is Bergkampian.
‘He is starting high, dropping deep, and showing there is more to his game than merely scoring goals. With eight assists in six games, at this rate Kane would obliterate the Premier League record of 20, shared by Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.’
Keown feels that Roberto Firmino fulfils a similar role at Liverpool, allowing the quicker players in the side to take advantage of the space provided by dropping deep.
Son has been the main beneficiary of Kane’s brilliant development, but Gareth Bale could now become another to make the most of it.
‘Kane, likewise, has fast-paced forwards who he can pick out. That’s been Son of late – most notably in that 5-2 win over Southampton when Kane took advantage of the hosts’ high line to assist his team-mate four times.
‘But now he has Gareth Bale, too. Son and Bale could become Tottenham’s inside forwards with Kane applying those golden passes into their paths.’
Tottenham host Brighton at 7.15pm on Sunday.
