Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will be out to match a goalscoring record set by Alan Shearer when the Lilywhites meet Everton at Goodison Park in Monday's Premier League battle.
Despite Spurs' well-documented troubles during the current campaign, Kane has enjoyed more personal success with 23 goals and four assists from 39 outings in all tournaments.
The England captain has struck 21 times in the Premier League - only Erling Braut Haaland has racked up more in the top-flight season - and achieved his lifelong goal of becoming England's highest goalscorer of all time during the recent international break.
Kane was unsurprisingly on target when Spurs eased to a 2-0 win over Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in October, taking his record against the Toffees to 15 games from 16 outings in all tournaments.
Only against Leicester City (20) has Kane made the net ripple on more occasions, and the 29-year-old's haul against Sean Dyche's side includes an eye-catching six braces.
Should Kane score at least twice at Goodison Park this week, he would become only the second player to score multiple goals in at least seven games against a single opponent.
Former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United marksman Shearer currently holds the record with six braces and a hat-trick against Leeds United during his famed Premier League career.
Between March 2017 and December 2018, Kane scored braces in four consecutive Premier League games against Everton before doing so again at Goodison Park in April 2021.
The Englishman's most recent double against the Toffees came in a 5-0 win in North London last season, and he now sits third in the all-time Premier League charts with 204 strikes.
Kane needs just five more strikes to leave Wayne Rooney (208) in his wake, but he remains 56 adrift of Shearer's all-time record of 260 goals in the competition.
At a time when speculation surrounding his future is rife, Kane has offered a slice of hope to Tottenham fans that he may be willing to extend his contract beyond the summer of 2024.
Speaking to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after becoming England's highest goalscorer of all time, Kane confirmed that breaking Shearer's Premier League record was high on his agenda.
"Yeah it's definitely there. I'm getting closer, so it's for sure something I want to achieve, but I try not to look too far ahead in football," Kane responded.
"A lot can change in a short period of time, but I'm feeling fit – I'm 29 – so hopefully got plenty of years left. For sure, it'd be something I'd love to do."
Manchester United could offer Kane a new stomping ground during his pursuit of Shearer's record, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is unlikely to sanction his exit to a direct Premier League rival. body check tags ::
