"Why is Harry Kane dropping so deep?"If you've watched England over the last few years, you've heard that question plenty of times. Maybe you've even asked it yourself.But it's about time people stopped complaining.Kane - the nation's all-time top scorer, no less - banged in a mind-boggling 61 goals for Bayern Munich this season all while being more involved in the build-up than ever, and is now preparing to take his world-beating form into what could be his final World Cup as England captain.‌So how is it that a 32-year-old Kane, far from slowing down, seems to be able to defy the laws of time and all conventional wisdom of what a centre-forward can be?We've used supercomputer Machine Football's data to break down how he has mastered his craft, so next time you hear that complaint, you can tell your friends exactly why Kane drops so deep - and why that particular pub 'hot take' should be confined to the dustbin.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Kane's final formAt Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate's use of Kane was heavily criticised. England lacked dynamism and play was often congested. Kane's tendency to drop deep, it seemed, was to blame.‌Former England striker Gary Lineker was particularly unhappy with what he saw from Kane. "As a striker," Lineker said, "you have two jobs: score goals, which Harry Kane has been good at all his career, and make space."Against a back three he has to stretch the play, run one way and then come short so you don't have to come too far to receive it. He needs to make more space for the midfield players behind him to create chances."Alan Shearer even questioned whether Kane still had the legs to stretch the play as Lineker suggested. "As I got older I needed pace in and around me," Shearer said."I could still score goals, head the ball, get into positions in the box, but one thing I could not do is run in behind. Harry Kane is the same now.‌"He needs players that have the legs to run beyond and make the space. That's why I would have [Anthony] Gordon in the team. [Phil] Foden is occupying the same spaces as Kane at the moment and it's not working."Far from being on the decline, though, Kane has completed an evolution that most centre-forwards never achieve.In his first Bundesliga season (2023/24), Kane averaged 18 passes per 90. Last season it rose to 21.5. This season it's 24. Seems straightforward enough - a top striker becoming more and more of a creator as he enters the twilight years of his career, as we've seen before with Wayne Rooney.Yet Kane, paradoxically, has only improved in front of goal. In those same three years, his goals per game has gone from 0.99 to 0.93 to 1.23. The traditional expectation of trading off goals for creativity simply does not seem to apply to Kane.‌He isn't just dropping deep, either. In 2023/24, he averaged 3.03 progressive passes per 90. This season it's 4.2 – a 38% increase. Kane is actively driving his team forward from deeper areas - his passes into the final third increasing in tandem from 2.88 per 90 in 2023/24 to 4.3 this season just gone.England's unicornFor England, this shift is even more pronounced. Against New Zealand and Costa Rica, Kane averaged 26.61 passes per 90 yet averaged 4.7 shots per 90 - both higher than any of his Bundesliga campaigns.‌Kane, for England, is involved even further from goal yet shooting more than ever. This is a trend that has developed throughout Tuchel's tenure as manager, with the German asking more and more from his captain as a distributor.In the 2024/25 Nations League, Kane averaged 24.93 passes per 90 and 6.23 link-up plays per 90 - both his highest return in any competition over the last three years - yet continued to convert at close to a goal a game.In World Cup qualification, he averaged 6.04 touches in the box per 90. Far from being absent from dangerous areas, Kane is choosing his moments - to deadly effect.Against Costa Rica on Wednesday night, Kane played 61 minutes, completing 17 passes, one through ball and three touches in the box. His floating pass to Gordon just before half-time, which resulted in an ultimately-overturned penalty award, underlined his unique skillset - the kind of pass a pure penalty-box poacher would never attempt, never mind execute.‌An xG of 0.11 didn't pull up any trees, but Kane's role in the Orlando friendly was to be the connector as much as the finisher. After all, his ability to make the most of his moments to score has never been in question.With adjustments rightly having been made to the profile of the players surrounding him, Kane is set to unleash his unique talents on the World Cup - all while playing deeper, passing more, entering the box less frequently and somehow scoring more than ever.The data has been pointing this way for some time, but this summer, Kane should finally get the recognition he deserves.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice