Ahead of Manchester United‘s Premier League bout against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Louis van Gaal has insisted that Wayne Rooney is better than his England rival Harry Kane.
While the two players may well start for the Three Lions during the European Championships in France this summer, Kane gave an excellent account of himself during the recent international break, making the most of Rooney’s absence through injury.
Indeed, Kane’s effort against Germany, as well has his excellent domestic form with high-flying Spurs, is threatening to outshine Rooney, who is in the midst of a difficult campaign.
Ahead of United’s clash with Spurs on Sunday, Kane sits atop the EPL scoring charts, having bagged 22 goals in 32 outings this season. Rooney, by contrast, has managed to find the net only seven times in 22 showings in the top flight.
However, despite the gulf in numbers, van Gaal has insisted that Rooney remains the better frontman of the two.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s showdown—in quotes as relayed by the Daily Mail—LVG has risked motivating Kane to prove his class once again.
“When you see his record, he is the best striker,” the under-pressure coach began.
“Kane is a very good striker but he hasn’t scored yet against us,” van Gaal continued. “When I say that I am challenging him also, so it’s not so smart of me.
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“It always depends on their form. Normally, Rooney is the best striker but how many has Kane scored in total? That counts for a striker, and also for Wayne.”