Tottenham goalscoring sensation Harry Kane insists he is determined to get his hands on the Ballon d’Or trophy.
The 23-year-old was in stunning form for Tottenham last season, netting 35 goals from just 38 appearances in all competitions, as the north London club finished second in the Premier League.
It was the third successive campaign where Kane has scored more than 20 league goals in a single season, and fans and pundits alike have backed him to reach the very top level.
But Kane admits the ultimate goal is for him to win the Ballon d’Or trophy, an award that has been dominated by two names over the last decade.
The trophy has been awarded to either Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona’s Lionel Messi during each of the last nine years, and Kane has laid down his ambition to emulate the two La Liga stars.
When asked if he had aspirations to win the Ballon d’Or, he told ESPN: “For sure, who wouldn’t want to win the big gold trophy? It is definitely something I aspire to do.
“Doing that you have to win big tournaments for club and country. Ronaldo won the Euros and the Champions League and that is part of why he wins it. Messi is in a similar situation.
“To do that it isn’t just individual, it is about a team winning trophies, and hopefully, that is what we can do at Tottenham. For sure, I’d love to win that trophy one day.”
However, Kane does recognise that his chances of winning the award may well hinge on Tottenham’s ability to challenge for trophies.
Spurs have yet to win a major domestic title since their League Cup triumph during the 2007-08 campaign, while their last league title dates back as far as 1960-61.
They have moved closer to ending their trophy drought in recent seasons under Mauricio Pochettino, but despite the impressive form of their top stars like Kane, they continue to fall short.
The Ballon d’Or was last won by a Premier League player in 2008, when then-Manchester United star Ronaldo pipped both long-term rival Messi, and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres to the title.
Meanwhile, an Englishman has not won the award since Michael Owen in 2001.