Former Arsenal defender, Martin Keown has admitted that the way Harry Kane is dropping deep to pick out runners with precision, reminds him a lot of his former teammate, Dennis Bergkamp.
Bergkamp is regarded by many as one of the greatest ever Arsenal players if not the greatest and he was the Gunners’ main creative force during their peak years under Arsene Wenger.
Just like the Dutchman used to in his prime, Kane has played a floating role behind the likes of Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura and found little pockets of space to pick out the runners with ruthless precision.
The England captain has already notched up eight assists so far this campaign, which is double the tally of Aston Villa’s John McGinn, who is second on the list.
Keown believes that the Tottenham striker is on course to break the 20 assist record in a Premier League season, which is jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Comparing the role Bergkamp played for Arsenal during the invincible season to the one Kane now does for Spurs, Keown wrote in his Daily Mail column: “Arsene Wenger never overcomplicated things. He preferred to focus on how we’d play rather than the opposition.
“We’d start with a 4-4-2 formation but that was fluid and could become 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-3 as we adapted to different situations. We knew how to create overloads and outnumber the opposition on the wings. Amid all this, Dennis was like our quarter-back, feeding those willing runners in front of him.
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“In 2003-04, he would have Henry, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg to pick out. In 1997-98, Ian Wright or Nicolas Anelka would be the striker, supported by roadrunner Marc Overmars and the underrated Ray Parlour coming inside from the wings.
“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.
“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.”
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