London: Harry Kane rounded off a sensational 2017 by scoring a record number of Premier League goals and hat-tricks in a calendar year, as well as toppling Lionel Messi as the top scorer in Europe as a rampant Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Southampton 5-2 on Tuesday.
The England striker followed up his treble over Burnley on Saturday by heading in a Christian Eriksen free-kick in the 22nd minute for his 37th league goal of 2017, beating Alan Shearer’s 22-year-old record for the most goals in England’s top flight in a calendar year.
Kane then overtook Messi as the top scorer of the year in Europe for club and country by tapping in Son Heung-min’s low cross in the 39th minute.
In the second half Kane scored his side’s fifth goal of the game to become the first player to hit six Premier League hat-tricks in one year.
“I need to find a room, at the minute they are all just stored in a cupboard at home,” Kane jokingly told the BBC about where he stores all the match balls he keeps after scoring a treble.
“It has been a fantastic year. To get compared to those players — the Messis and Shearers — is what it is all about. To get another hat-trick is a great way to end the year.
“It is always about improving every year. That’s what I always have done throughout my career and it is what I will continue to do.” The only disappointing thing is that we conceded two goals. But we scored five and end the year on a high. Hopefully 2018 is even better.
“They are fantastic players here. It’s fantastic to play with them. We’re a hard team to stop and I said to them before the game to try and set me up and they did that, so I’ll have to take them out for dinner.”
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino told Sky Sports: “I think I have said everything. His name is there [with the best in the world], it is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to him and to the team because you also need help from the team.
“It does not surprise us because every day we see how he works, how determined he is and how professional he is. That can only be good for him.
“Professional is a massive word — you need to include everything there inside and he is a good example of that.”
Impressive strikes from Dele Alli and Son had further stretched Tottenham’s lead in the second half, while Sofiane Boufal hit back for struggling Southampton to make it 4-1 before the relentless Kane struck once again with a classy chipped finish over Fraser Forster in the 67th minute.
Substitute Dusan Tadic got another consolation goal for the visitors, who are 13th on 19 points and only three clear of the relegation zone.
Kane’s 22nd-minute header at Wembley was his 37th goal of the year, moving him past Alan Shearer’s previous Premier League record, which was set when he played for Blackburn Rovers in 1995.
But Kane wasn’t happy to settle for that milestone and scored again with a close-range finish in the 39th minute.
His second goal took him to 55 for club and country in 2017 — lifting him above Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to become Europe’s top-scorer over the last 12 months in the five major countries (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France).
Messi, who has 54 goals this year, can’t catch Kane as Barcelona don’t play again until 2018.
Kane admitted he was keen to break Shearer’s record after he moved level with the former England star with a hat-trick in Tottenham’s win at Burnley on Saturday.
The 24-year-old reached his landmark 37th goal in 36 league appearances, while Shearer played 42 times when he set the old record with 36 goals.
Shearer was quick to congratulate Kane, tweeting: “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.”
Kane scored 21 league goals from January to May last season and has 16 this term.
He netted 18 times in home games and 19 in away fixtures, while May was his highest scoring month with eight goals.
The England international now has 22 goals for Tottenham in all competitions this season.
Other high-scoring Premier League stars over a calendar year include Robin van Persie, who notched 35 for Arsenal in 2011, and Thierry Henry, who struck 34 times for Arsenal in 2004.
Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 30 for Manchester United in 2003 and Les Ferdinand hit the same tally for QPR and Newcastle United in 1995.
