Harry Kane expressed his pride at being mentioned in the same "conversation" as England legend Wayne Rooney after storming past his Champions League scoring record.
Kane had entered Bayern Munich's game against Dinamo Zagreb with the target of surpassing Rooney's 30-goal tally in UEFA's elite competition, and by full-time he'd not only met but exceeded that tally with a stunning four-goal performance in a sensational 9-2 victory.
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video, Kane said: "Whenever you're in a conversation with Wayne Rooney, it means you're doing something well. He's one of the greatest English players and one of the best players there was in the game."
"It's a nice achievement."
Just 19 minutes into the match, Kane equalled Rooney's record with a penalty and didn't stop there. The England captain added another from open play soon after half-time, followed by two more spot-kicks.
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The striker shared: "It's the first time I've ever had three penalties in one game. It was a different feeling for me, but to score four goals is fantastic.
"To help the team in any way possible is important. Whether they're penalties or normal finishes, I'll take them all. It was a great night for us.
"I keep all the balls after hat-tricks. The lads might be sick of signing them, but keep them coming.
"My son Louis, he loves playing football right now. He's only three, but I'll take it home and put it next to his bed and he'll be happy when he wakes up in the morning."
Bayern Munich stormed ahead with a 3-0 lead at half-time, thanks to goals from Raphael Guerreiro and Michael Olise.
Despite a brief comeback from Dinamo Zagreb through Bruno Petkovic and Takuya Ogiwara, Harry Kane's second-half hat-trick and additional goals from Olise, Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka ensured Bayern's flawless start to the season under Vincent Kompany.
Kane expressed: "We've come back with a good energy. We've been hungry. You saw that straight away in pre-season with the new coach. Everyone has a point to prove here and we've started the season that way.
"The way the coach wants us to press and be intense with and without the ball is important. We know we can dominate teams with the quality we have."
