Kane beats Shearer total for most goals in year

Harry Kane has surpassed Alan Shearer’s record to become the most prolific goal scorer in a calendar year in the Premier League.

He took the record after netting his eighth hat-trick of 2017 in Tottenham’s 5-2 win over Southampton.

It took his tally for 2017 to 39.

Shearer’s record of 36 goals was set in 1995 while he was at Blackburn Rovers.

The former England striker tweeted his congratulations, saying: “You’ve had a magnificent 2017 @HKane. You deserve to hold the record of most @premierleague goals in a calendar year. Well done and keep up the good work.”

The 39 goals are only part of Kane’s 2017 total of 56 for club and country – a figure which surpasses that achieved by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same year.

He also took the record for the most Premier League hat tricks in a calendar year with six.

Kane responded with his own comment – tweeting 56 emojis of a football together with a picture of him and his Tottenham teammates.

With 18 goals under his belt since the start of the 2017/2018 season, Kane is also on course to tackle the record of most goals in a season – 31 – currently jointly held by Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez over 38 games.

It caps off a year in which 24-year-old Kane has not only captained England for the first time, but Tottenham topped their Champions League group ahead of Real Madrid.

Kane was named as man of the match at the game against Southampton at Wembley.

His manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “First of all I want to congratulate Harry Kane, a massive achievement for him, well deserved.

“And we are all so, so, so, so happy because it’s an amazing thing to celebrate. For me, he’s world class.

“I think today, (number) one striker in the world, specific position, who’s better than him?”

BBC Presenter and former England captain Gary Lineker said on Twitter: “He’s only gone and done it. First Shearer’s record and now Messi’s total is surpassed. Well played @HKane. Absolutely magnificent achievement.”

England and Liverpool legend Ray Clemence tweeted: “Great game and result @SpursOfficial today big congrats to @HKane for his goalscoring achievement”

(c) Sky News 2017: Kane beats Shearer total for most goals in year