Should Harry Kane look at Gareth Bale and wonder what could have been?

Harry Kane and Gareth Bale. Two household names in British football culture. However, despite the many similarities between the two, they are still a world apart.

Former Real Madrid star Bale shocked the world when he announced his sudden retirement from football on Monday afternoon, ending his illustrious playing career, in which he won a total of 17 trophies.

Kane, on the other hand, has yet to retire or win a trophy. It’s certainly not too late for him to achieve the latter, although the window of opportunity is closing.

Spurs seem to be getting progressively worse and the interest from clubs like Man United will not last forever. So is it a case of now or never for the England captain?

Gareth Bale posted an emotional statement on social media announcing his decision to retire from club and international football on Monday, catching the football world off guard with his announcement.

The 33-year-old only signed with MLS’s Los Angeles FC in the summer and vowed he has years left in soccer, however he has now taken a U-turn on that path with his message.

Applause for Bale poured in and pundits, players and fans were quick to write tributes to the Welshman and his contributions to British football after the news broke.

Bale has been labeled by many as “the greatest British player of all time”, which is hard to argue with given the ridiculous number of trophies he will walk away with when he retires.

Perhaps on an individual level, Kane will feel harshly overlooked by that title, especially if he becomes the Premier League’s all-time top scorer, but it’s hard to compete with his former team-mate’s honours.

Five Champions Leagues. Three LaLiga. Three Club World Cups. Three UEFA Super Cups. A King’s Cup. A Spanish Super Cup. And just in case; an MLS Cup.

Kane, by comparison, has only a handful of runner-up medals to his name. EFL Cup in 2015 and 2021. Champions League Final 2019. Euro Cup Final in 2021.

For whatever reason, Tottenham seem to be cursed in their trophy quest. Even with both legendary players on the pitch together in the 2021 Carabao Cup final, Spurs were soundly beaten by Pep Guardiola’s Man City.

Bale had returned to north London on loan that year, after being frozen out in Madrid, failing to win a trophy in a season for the first time in his career since leaving Spurs in 2013.

It was the summer after the cup final defeat that proved to be an eventful time for Tottenham, and in particular for the club’s chairman, Daniel Levy.

Promising a “gentleman’s agreement” with Levy, Kane was under the impression that he would be allowed to leave Tottenham in the transfer window, with Man City interested in his services.

Guardiola’s side put in a massive £120m offer for the striker, but in the end, Levy’s resilience paid off, City backed down and Kane stayed on. But the fallout from that meant Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund moved to the Etihad the following year.

The Norwegian has gone like a duck to water at the Etihad and is reaping the rewards of being a prolific talisman in an efficient and proactive system, leading the league goalscoring tables by six goals.

Trophies at City will be a guarantee for Haaland. And poor Kane will have to watch from afar as the former Dortmund star collects the praise that could have been his.

However, all hope is not lost for Kane. The January transfer window is underway and rumors of interest in the striker have already started to circulate.

Erik ten Hag’s Man United are said to be monitoring the Kane situation in north London, with the Red Devils making a new striker their ‘main target’ this month.

Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s dramatic departure from the club last month, following his revealing interview with Piers Morgan, ten Hag’s team have been searching for a new talisman.

Kane has long been on United’s shortlist and ten Hag was recently urged by club legend Rio Ferdinand to finally orchestrate a move for the England captain.

However, the Red Devils are reportedly finalizing a move for Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, which could jeopardize a potential transfer for Kane.

There is no guarantee that Kane will win trophies at United, given that the Manchester club have not won a title since winning the Europa League in 2017.

But it would certainly be very useful if you were to move away from North London. The club seems to be in crisis at the moment and history tends to favor those who chose to leave Spurs.

That’s not to say it would be exactly the same if the England captain left Tottenham, but it certainly wouldn’t be hurting their trophy chances.

Luka Modric, Dimitar Berbatov, Kyle Walker, Christian Eriksen all won major titles and had incredible careers after leaving Tottenham. The ones that stayed? Just ask Danny Rose.