During the FIFA World Cup, Walker served as a columnist for The Sun. On 17 June, Beijing time (CEST), he published a new article in his column, sharing his thoughts on Kane.

I have played alongside Kane many times for Tottenham Hotspur and England, and the effort he has put in to achieve what he has accomplished today is truly remarkable. I don't think people fully realize how much work he has done to become one of the world's best strikers.

I joined Tottenham Hotspur at 19 years old and trained several times with players of Kane's age, including Townsend, Caulker, Mason, and Tom Carroll. It was a talented group, but Kane was a bit overweight and didn't particularly stand out. He himself would honestly admit that.

Then Kane was loaned out. I wouldn't even say he returned as a better player—he was loaned out multiple times to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich, and Leicester City, where he mostly sat on the bench without much playing time.

But he was always very dedicated in training, often staying behind to practice shooting and improve his finishing. I say this not without reason, as Kane is a good friend of mine, but he wasn't the quickest, and working in and around the penalty box, he really had to sharpen his skills.

He had to stay calm, and he and Defoe often trained together on first-touch shots and no-touch finishing. He developed a very accurate shooting technique, with the ability to place the ball to the far corner in a way that makes it incredibly difficult for goalkeepers to save.

He is under enormous pressure today, but the way he handles it is remarkable. Over the years, whether at Tottenham Hotspur, England, or now Bayern Munich, the responsibility for scoring goals has rested on his shoulders. When Kane isn't performing, the team usually struggles to score.

The aura he projects doesn't come from his personality off the pitch, but from his character on it. He lets his football speak for itself—constantly scoring, delivering brilliant performances, and leading by example, not just in front of 95,000 supporters on match day, but also in training and in the gym.

I like to compare it to performing in the dark. When there are 95,000 fans cheering and celebrating you, it seems easy to perform well on the pitch. But true success comes from the hard work no one sees—that's what makes a true player.

I remember after he scored against Villa, I thought: "This is just one match, but can he perform consistently?" He owes a lot to Sherwood for giving him his chance, but it may have been the easiest decision to make at the time since Roberto Soldado wasn't scoring.

Sherwood also brought in Adebayor, who had been sidelined by former manager Villas-Boas, and paired him with Kane. Suddenly, an incredible chemistry developed between them, Kane started scoring, and the rest, as they say, is history.

He scored against Arsenal with a broken nose, wearing a mask. Then he took it off and started running, and I thought, "Your future is limitless, nothing can stop you because you love to score."

We used to joke that a defender could play well for 90 minutes, but in the 91st minute, someone would slip the ball past him into the top corner, and suddenly you'd have your worst game of the season. But Kane could have a poor 90 minutes and then score the winning goal, run off the pitch, and we'd joke, "Kane scores the winner again, helping England reach the final or win the World Cup." That's just the difference between my job and his.

But he has grown so much as a person and as captain. I was truly struck by how well he took on the captaincy role. He used to be a quiet, somewhat shy kid who didn't talk much, but now he has completely adapted.

He could very well be one of the greatest England captains in history, compared to Bobby Moore. The role carries enormous responsibility, and you must maintain a certain image 24/7, and Kane exemplifies what a great England captain should be.

I was fortunate enough to serve as his vice-captain for England, and it was an incredible experience. He is very straightforward, very intelligent, and very sharp. When he speaks to individual players, his approach differs from when he addresses the entire team.

When speaking to the whole team, he emphasizes that we are England and ensures his points are delivered firmly and directly. He doesn't shout or use aggressive tactics, but when he needs to deliver a message, he expresses it very clearly.

Kane's biggest challenge in recent years has been ankle injuries, but he has now managed that well, doing extensive strength and conditioning work to improve his fitness.

He now plays 40 or 50 matches a season, which may not have happened when we were both at Tottenham Hotspur, and he is reaping the rewards—which is great news for England.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.