Kane's Golden Boot chance shows just how brilliant he is - opinion

Tied on three goals at the top of the goalscoring charts with several other big-name players, including Germany's Jamal Musiala and the Netherlands' Cody Gakpo, realistically, it's now a straight shootout between the England captain and Spain's Dani Olmo, should either get on the scoresheet on Sunday.

Yet there have been calls at times for Kane to be dropped after a few lacklustre and laboured displays in which the usually formidable talisman has faded in games and failed to make any significant impact.

The Bayern Munich striker was subdued in England's opener against Serbia, registering just one shot as his side scraped a 1-0 win to get their tournament up and running.

He scored relatively early against Denmark in the group stages but was otherwise ineffective. With 20 minutes to go, he was even substituted for Ollie Watkins in a game Gareth Southgate's side would ultimately draw 1-1.

He then returned to play a full 90 against Slovenia and was far livelier. He registered five shots but failed to put any away as England were again left frustrated again with a 0-0 shutout.

Alarm bells were ringing from that point, with calls from some quarters of supporters to drop the 30-year-old for Watkins' running between lines or Ivan Toney's physical hold-up play.

But Southgate and his captain persisted, and without Kane's poacher-esque pointed header, England may not have so easily gotten through extra time against Slovakia after a heroic last-minute bicycle kick from Jude Bellingham.

It was enough to dampen the naysayers for the time being, but Kane again was ineffective in the quarter-final against Switzerland, despite the Three Lions controlling the ball and creating more opportunities throughout.

During that game against the Swiss, he mustered just two shots on goal—neither of which was on target—and just one key pass, and was even substituted before the penalty shootout, something you would never have imagined possible before the start of the tournament (Kane has scored more goals from penalty kicks than any other England player, having scored 22 penalties in 26 attempts, as well as the most England goals scored in competitive matches, having scored 58 of his 66 goals in non-friendly fixtures).

And then he was famously substituted again against the Dutch in the semi-final, having crucially equalised earlier on from the penalty spot no less, this time resulting in a famous winner from Aston Villa's Watkins in the dying embers of the match to take England to a second successive European Championships final.

Yet here he is, vying for a Golden Boot to add to his collection after picking up the award at the 2018 World Cup in Russia (he also came second to Cristiano Ronaldo by one goal at Euro 2020).

He will undoubtedly start the final against Spain, but is it fair to say he isn't deserving of that place, that England's all-time leading scorer is a fading force, and that England's current set-up works better without him in there?

For starters, he doesn't look fully fit. Lest we forget, he suffered a back injury at the tail-end of last season that saw him come off early in Bayern's Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and also ended his season prematurely, and the England camp may have kept that under wraps to maintain the illusion in the face of opponents.

And therein lies the undeniable fact: the Three Lions are a more feared side with Kane leading the line.

His very presence on the pitch gives every single defender in world football something to think about, and he commands respect and special attention, oftentimes allowing space for the likes of Bellingham or Phil Foden to move into his channels. They just often haven't done so in previous games earlier on in the tournament.

Even if he's only mustered 10 shots on goal in six games in Germany, an unusually low number by his standards, he's still there waiting for the pass, dropping deep for the ball if needs be, and averaging more shots on target (six) than off.

We've also seen countless times during his career, particularly at Tottenham, his uncanny ability to be anonymous for 88 minutes before scoring two goals from nowhere to secure a victory.

Not all great strikers need to have 101 touches in a game to make their mark; just look at the effectiveness of Erling Haaland, Gary Lineker, and even twilight Lionel Messi.

Kane has simply adapted his game. Sure, in the current system, he perhaps isn't benefiting in the same way as at club level, with speedy wingers bombing on beyond him and desperate to supply him with chances.

Instead, England boasts a plethora of front-line players who are all match-winners in their own rights and aren't simply there to accommodate Kane but rather complement or fill his void should he be marked out of proceedings.

While he may not be hitting the heights we like to see—which he has done on many occasions when others haven't, to the point where his bar has been set stratospherically high—he is still undeniably an absolute weapon up front, capable of massive moments and seemingly a stranger to any pressure whatsoever.

That being said, praise should be given not only to Southgate for having the courage to substitute Europe's top scorer from the past season when he's clearly running on empty and adding little, but also to Kane himself for accepting his manager's decisions—a Kane of the past would have thrown toys out of the proverbial pram or demanded to continue on.

"He's leading the team incredibly well, he's such a positive influence around the camp and guiding young players through everything the squad have had to deal with in the early stages of the tournament," said Southgate in defence of his skipper.

And, of course, it helps having two in-form strikers in their own rights, not throwing sulks and instead waiting in the wings, knowing they have a vital role to play for their side should they be called upon.

Southgate's management has also kept them hungry, with his willingness to haul Kane off enough to whet their appetites should they be given an opportunity to impact games. Case in point: Watkins against the Dutch and even Toney's contributions against Slovakia.

To his own credit, Kane navigates the criticism expertly and merely keeps his mind on the task at hand, rather than the questions surrounding himself.

"We've had to show unbelievable character, resilience, physical strength, mental strength—we've shown it all but there is still one more to go," Kane told a press conference ahead of Sunday's final.

"It's been a tough journey but it's one more. Ninety minutes, 120 minutes, penalties, whatever it takes."

So it's a testament to the man himself; England's captain and greatest ever striker, penalty taker, goalscorer and potentially best player ever, that despite the criticism, he's left himself with the opportunity not only to lift his country's first-ever European Championship crown, a first-ever major title on foreign soil, and first trophy since 1966, but he's also found himself with a shot at more individual accolades after thick-skinned perseverance, a team-first mentality, faith in his manager and all despite a possible niggling back injury and an unnecessary amount of flak from fans and media.

He admirably shoulders a nation's hopes and responsibility, and while he's able to share it around a bit more these days, he's been doing so for quite some time. His determination to succeed in his country's colours is second to none.

The man deserves the same respect from fans and journalists as he garners from every opposition defender in the world.

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