England captain Harry Kane is STILL underrated. It’s time we start appreciating our top scorer

ER is just two goals away from Wayne Rooney’s all-time leading scorer in England and five behind the Spurs great Jimmy Greaves.

Here in Qatar, he will aim to become the first man to win golden boots at two World Cups.

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And just one more goal will set him apart from Gary Lineker as the most successful Englishman in major tournaments.

However, like his manager Gareth Southgate, Tottenham’s Harry Kane is often underestimated.

On the eve of England’s first game at the last World Cup against Tunisia in Volgograd, Kane was asked if he could win the Golden Boot as Cristiano Ronaldo opened Portugal’s season with a hat-trick against Spain.

The question was asked with a tongue-in-cheek grin, but Kane answered with the confidence of a man expecting to be the tournament’s top scorer.

Kane said: “He sure put a little pressure on me, hopefully I can get a hat trick and we’ll be level.”

Some at that press conference laughed out loud at his response, but he was deadly serious.

Kane scored twice against Tunisia, a total of six times at the tournament, and won the Golden Boot.

But Kane is used to exceeding expectations.

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As a youngster at Spurs he was loaned out to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester on unconvincing loans, with many at the club believing he would end up as a lower-league journeyman.

There was no obvious trait that set Kane apart as a future England centre-forward, save for a fierce determination.

But now he’s the bookmakers’ favorite to top the scorers’ charts again in Qatar.

Yet you rarely hear him praised by opposing managers or players, or mentioned in the same breath as Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe.

Perhaps it’s the lack of a major trophy, the lack of charisma, the lack of marketing hype or the rising bitterness of club rivalries – with every other major London club harboring a hatred of Spurs.

Kane is not held in the same regard as previous England captains or talismanic goalscorers.

Yet the man is a sports obsessive – nerdy in his love of golf, cricket, American football and his chosen profession.

And he’s a committed pro, with some clubmates even mildly amusing Kane for his intense focus.

There are a few quirks about him but when England take on Iran on Monday there is a ritual Kane will perform in the dressing room at the Khalifa International Stadium.

As before any club or country game, Kane will sip a latte just before kick-off.

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What started out as a caffeine rush has turned into something of a superstition.

Kane is a throwback, a local hero in an era of Premier League cosmopolitanism and a one-club man.

He was even quickly reinstated into the squad after last year’s botched jailbreak when he failed to secure a move to Manchester City.

Even this saga said a lot about his character. There was something naïve about the way Kane – whose affairs are handled by his father Pat and brother Charlie rather than a super agent – tried and failed to force his way out of Tottenham.

On the field, however, he possesses the kind of cynicism the Three Lions always craved when they were usually beaten by wiser opponents.

This is a player who can win penalties as skillfully as he takes them.

Kane is the most complete footballer of all of England’s great forwards.

Greaves, Lineker, Alan Shearer and Michael Owen weren’t exactly one-dimensional goalscorers. But none could fall deep, provide as many assists, and have such an impact on a team as Kane.

A player who puts in such a heavy workload might find this Winter World Cup to his liking.

That Greaves record of 266 Spurs goals was considered untouchable in modern times.

But at the age of 29, Kane is five down despite playing 24 more games for his club than the top scorer in English top flight history.

For England, Kane is two behind Rooney’s record of 55.

Ten goals in 13 appearances in the last two major tournaments is a far cry from his first attempt, which saw him score a gap after being cornered by Roy Hodgson in 2016.

Kane looked shaken at the start of last summer’s European Championships until his goals against Germany, Ukraine and Denmark helped lead England to their first major final in 55 years.

His patchy injury record was endorsed by medical guru Dr. Significantly improved Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco to eliminate common hamstring and ankle problems.

And a player with such a heavy workload at his club might find this Winter World Cup to his liking.

Kane has started the domestic season in superb form with 12 Premier League goals in 15 games, a record largely overshadowed by Erling Haaland’s intense gluttony.

Again, Kane is overlooked, undervalued, somewhat unloved.

But we should cherish it while it lasts. Any forward capable of outperforming Greaves, Rooney and Lineker deserves a lot of love.