Wayne Rooney has delivered his verdict on Harry Kane, hailing him as the finest striker ever to pull on an England shirt but also warning that the Bayern Munich hitman is missing one vital ingredient. Rooney, who once held the nation’s all-time goalscoring record, believes Kane’s unmatched finishing ability makes him the definitive No. 9. Yet the former Manchester United legend also suggested that the 31-year-old lacks a certain streak of nastiness that defined Rooney’s own career.

Kane leaves Rooney’s record in the dust

Rooney and Kane briefly shared the England frontline, featuring together in 10 internationals. One of those nights, in September 2015, was particularly historic: Rooney buried a penalty against Switzerland to move past Sir Bobby Charlton’s record with his 50th England goal. Kane also found the net that evening, offering an early glimpse of the passing of the torch. Fast forward to today, and the numbers speak for themselves. Kane has shattered Rooney’s benchmark, racking up 74 goals in just 109 appearances for the Three Lions. For sheer consistency, Rooney insists nobody comes close.

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Rooney explained why Kane’s brilliance doesn’t rely on speed or flair.   he said: "He’s developed that over the last few years. He’s a clever lad Harry and he knows he’s never been the quickest but I think he’s lost a little bit of sharpness. He scored I don’t know how many goals last season for Bayern. He’s a goalscorer, he’s clinical but he’s clever in terms of the positions he’s picking up."

Drawing comparisons to Roma icon Francesco Totti, Rooney described how Kane cleverly drifts into deeper pockets before timing his arrival in the penalty area.

"I watched Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup and it was almost like (Francesco) Totti for Roma, where he’d drop in and there’s runners off of him," he said. "But gradually as the ball got further forward and they might come back out and went back round the other side, he then makes his way in the box. So it's not a sprint but he’s in there and he’s in and around there and if he gets a chance, he scores. For me, he's the greatest ever England number nine."

Greatest England No.9, but not the better player

Pressed by Rio Ferdinand on whether Kane had surpassed him overall, Rooney drew a firm line.

"As a player, I’m not sure. I think I could do things which potentially he couldn’t. I was nastier than him as well, he said. "In terms of goalscoring, he creates goals. People say, ‘Oh, he’s scored against San Marino or this team.’ He scores every game. Does he play well all the time? No, but for me he’s above everyone."

Nastiness was the missing ingredient

According to Rooney, that lack of nastiness shaped Kane’s career choices. While Kane eventually swapped Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023, Rooney reckons he should have stepped outside his comfort zone sooner.

"It gives you that edge. That’s probably the reason he stayed at Tottenham for so long," Rooney insisted. "You want to come out (of) your comfort zone. You want to go and try a different club to try and be successful. I’m delighted he’s won the league in Germany but just that little switch (is missing)."