Once again Harry Kane has seemingly managed to bend the rules to his advantage. Last night, the England captain won a controversial penalty as he helped Tottenham to a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
To earn the penalty, Kane seemed to initiate contact from the defender instead of trying to actually play the ball. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville diplomatically said: “It’s cute from Kane, some won’t like it.”
Wow that Harry Kane penalty claim was something else. Saw Cash committed to block his incoming cross with a slide so decided not to play the ball and stepped 1 metre to the right over the ball and stuck out his leg instead while the ball trundled over the line. pic.twitter.com/SdPg7jSkvp
— Tom Tom (@tightropetom) March 22, 2021
Cute is one way of putting it, though many people online have opted for the ‘cheat’ instead. So, is Harry Kane the Premier League’s biggest practitioner of the dark arts? Some people certainly think so.
I know he's one of hundreds who does this, but it's so embarrassing watching the tiniest bit of contact bring a player down and then them screaming in agony.
But cause it's our England boy Harry Kane, he's clever….
— Crippy Cooke (@CrippyCooke) March 22, 2021
Kane must be the biggest cheat in the history of the game and whats worse is @fa turn a blind eye. #AVLTOT
— Kwikky's left foot (@fit_kwik_) March 21, 2021
Kane is the biggest cheat in English football. Dives, fakes injuries and always trying to hurt opposition players. But because he’s English and the darling of Fleet Street it’s never mentioned
— Chris (@c_brown888) March 21, 2021
And it’s not just his willingness to go to ground easily which has upset fans. Kane has now been attributed his own ‘signature move’.
Not for his goal scoring exploits, but rather his ability to endanger the opposition for his own gain.
Kane will often wait for a defender to leap into the air, before backing into them forcing the opposition player to fall over him. This makes the defender look out of control and so Kane often wins a foul.
The reality is, though, Kane has forced the defender to lose control and has put them in potential danger by knocking them off balance mid-air.
Seeing it live I thought clumsy by Lallana. After more thought, and seeing this, I think it's dangerous from Kane, backing into a player already in the air. pic.twitter.com/L5DVUoXHen
— Tom Forsdike (@ForsdikeTom) November 2, 2020
As Charlie Eccleshare explains in the Athletic: “In rugby, it is illegal to tackle any player who has gone for a high ball and has both feet off the ground. It is punishable with a red card because the potential for injury is so obvious.”
Despite the obvious risk to his play, Kane has continued to use his move without facing any punishment – he even won a penalty for it against Brighton.
Some fans even believe that, due to Kane’s ‘golden boy’ status as England captain, he can get away with anything.
Their point may have been proved when Kane recently took his north London derby loss frustrations out on Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes. The Tottenham striker went completely unpunished despite his brutal challenge.
Why does @BBCMOTD never seem to mention the dirty side to Harry Kane's game?
From diving to win fouls from nonexistent contact, dangerously taking people out in the air, to this on Gabriel.
I've never known such a protected footballer. pic.twitter.com/VkY3mNUFJp— 🏴 Cactus Kash 🇪🇬 (@cactuskash) March 15, 2021
Incredible that Kane can just smash into Gabriel late with his elbow and get away with it/commentators down even mention a foul as he's Englands golden boy. "Kane showing his frustration". No, Kane summoning his WWE counterpart.
— Luke Carroll (@luke7carroll) March 14, 2021
Kane is certainly not the only player in the world, or indeed England, to dive. Nor is he the only player to make bad challenges.
But his growing frequency to dabble in the dark arts without facing any punishment has caused plenty of football followers to suggest he is currently the game’s biggest con man.
Source: RT