England striker Harry Kane scored twice in his team’s 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday, but that wasn’t what caught the eye of FOX Sports’ Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Although Kane’s two goals were impressive, his defensive efforts shed new light on the leader of the Three Lions. In the 94th minute, Croatia had a chance to score, but Kane blocked the shot just in front of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. For Ibrahimović, that was Kane’s shining moment.
“He scored two goals, but my favorite was when he blocked the shot in his own area,” Ibrahimović said of Kane. “When you see a top player defend like he does, the sacrifice, he wants something, he wants to win.
“He’s prepared to do the things that a star would not do normally.”
Competing in his third World Cup as England’s captain, Kane has been the face of England’s attack and someone to watch every time he takes the field. Although England has only one World Cup title, its dominant win over Croatia set the tone for what could be a strong tournament run.
In 114 appearances for England, Kane has scored 81 goals and continues to add to his place in the record books. With his two-goal performance against Croatia on Wednesday, Kane tied former England striker Gary Lineker for the most World Cup goals by an English player with 10. Kane also became just the second player to score for England at three different World Cup tournaments.
Kane’s production with Bayern Munich is also a testament to his talent. In 31 appearances for Bayern this season, he scored 36 goals and added five assists. But Kane is known for being more than just a goalscorer. He often drops into midfield and contributes defensively, just as he did against Croatia on Wednesday.
The 2018 Golden Boot winner now turns his attention to England’s next Group L match against Ghana on June 23 at Boston Stadium as the Three Lions continue their pursuit of a spot in the Round of 32.
