Harry Kane has been in scintillating form for Tottenham Hotspur this season, as he looks to win his third consecutive Premier League golden boot.

He has 17 goals in 16 appearances, including those for England, and every time he's scored in the league for Spurs he has gone on to add a second in that game.

Kane continued that run in last Sunday's thumping 4-1 victory over Liverpool, and has five goals in three Champions League matches.

The England forward even picked up seven votes for the FIFA Best awards earlier this week, which was won by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kane's form has led to reports that he may be lined up by Ronaldo's club Real Madrid as a potential replacement for Karim Benzema, who is coming under criticism at the Bernabeu.

It's been well documented that the 24-year-old has ambitions to become the world's best, and that he believes he can achieve that with Spurs.

And with 86 goals in just 122 Premier League games, it is becoming more realistic that Kane could break Alan Shearer's goalscoring record, which stands at 260.

Rio Ferdinand says that he can see why he's being talked about in the same bracket as Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - but he still has a long way to go to prove himself as one of the elite.

"I spoke about Harry Kane a while ago on social media and on TV. He can be talked about at this point of time with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi," he commented.

"He has the same number of goals as those guys. Now I'm not saying he is comparable to them as players because he isn't. They've been doing it for 10, 12, 13 years at the top level - blowing away all statistics in terms of goalscoring and winning things. 

"But he is now put himself up there as a top goalscorer in Europe so he can be talked about at those levels. He's got a long way to go. Greatness comes with consistency.

"He's been the top goalscorer in England for a while, now he's doing well in the Champions League. 

"I think we have to give him time to prove himself because we have seen far too often some strikers blow the league and Champions League away for one or two seasons and then we don't see them again and are not spoken about. I don't think Harry Kane will be like that but he needs
time to do that."

Kane faces his and Spurs' biggest test of the season so far on Saturday, as they travel to Old Trafford to face second-placed Manchester United.

The Englishman has scored in every away game he's played in the league since the 2-0 opening weekend win at Newcastle United.

It will be a huge test of Spurs' title credentials, as they look to go one better than their consecutive second-placed finishes in the last two years.

The North Londoners haven't won the title since 1961, and will be looking to bounce back from their shock 3-2 exit to West Ham in the Carabao Cup, having surrendered a two-goal lead at the interval.

Ferdinand believes that Spurs' hopes rest on the fitness of Kane, and that if he was to pick up an injury they would be unable to mount a serious challenge.

"If Harry Kane stays fit then yeah [they could win the title], if Harry Kane gets injured then they have got no chance because they've got no one to replace him who will get that amount of goals," he added.

'He's a talisman, he's not all Tottenham, they're not a one-man team. But to go and win a league you need a No 9 who is going to be banging in goals and outside of Harry Kane I don't see anyone who will do that."