Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League • England

Former Harry Kane team-mate explains why France star is ‘more impressive’ than Tottenham ace

Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud

Former Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko has issued his verdict on Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane ahead of their clash in the World Cup on Saturday.

England will play France in the quarter-finals at the Al Bayt Stadium. Whoever emerges victorious will play the winner of Morocco vs Portugal in the last four.

Many pundits and fans are focusing on the potential battle between Kylian Mbappe and Kyle Walker, and understandably so. Mbappe is the tournament’s top scorer with five goals from four matches.

Given his deadly form, England boss Gareth Southgate will have to ensure he uses the correct right-back to stop the Paris Saint-Germain star. And Walker could just be that man.

Manchester City’s Walker regularly shows his blistering pace in the Premier League and Champions League. It will be up to him to keep up with Mbappe and potentially stop him from scoring.

But there will also be another intriguing battle in the England vs France game. Tottenham skipper Lloris will come up against club talisman Kane.

Lloris will be aiming to keep the goalscorer out for the entire 90 minutes, and possibly extra time. Plus, they will come face-to-face if the last-eight clash goes down to penalties. After all, Kane is England’s main penalty taker.

Midfielder Sissoko played with both Lloris and Kane at Spurs. And during a recent interview with French outlet Le Parisien, he was asked about the duo.

England and France stars are ‘similar’

Sissoko said: “They’re a bit similar. They’re two people who get on very well, who live well in a group. They’re rather reserved, discreet, but they are two great professionals who have a very, very good career.

“Hugo, through his performances for Tottenham, in France and through his titles. Harry Kane through his performances and the amount of goals he has scored.

“They’ve been together for 10 years, in the same club. They’re with each other everyday, and know each other off by heart.”

Le Parisien told Sissoko how Lloris will soon overtake Lillian Thuram for the most France caps, as they are currently tied on 142, while Kane is England’s most prolific active goalscorer. The striker’s international record stands at 52 goals in 79 matches – one more goal and he will equal Wayne Rooney’s tally.

After being asked which player and record is more impressive, Sissoko narrowly sided with Lloris.

Hugo Lloris ‘more impressive’ than Harry Kane

“It’s complicated because the two are fantastic, but maybe Hugo because he’s going to be on 143 caps,” he said. “That shows he’s performed for years, that he’s had few injuries, been consistent and always at the top.

“What Harry is doing is magnificent too. We know his qualities. He’s very intelligent in front of goal, very capable.”

It’s very hard to compare goalkeepers with strikers as they are going after completely difference aims and accolades. What is certain, though, is that these are two players who have starred at the highest level for years.

Lloris will be looking to get one over his Spurs team-mate as this will be his last World Cup. At 35, he probably won’t be around for the 2026 tournament.

Kane is younger at 29 and will therefore probably have another shot at World Cup glory after this year’s tournament. But following England’s Euros heartbreak in 2021, Kane will be desperate to finally win some silverware.

Meanwhile, a pundit thinks a Manchester United-linked star ‘ticks every single box’ for Spurs.