‘I’m ambitious - I want to win trophies’: Harry Kane casts doubt on Spurs future

If there’s one thing that can be said of the coronavirus lockdown it’s that it has given us all time to take stock of our lives - and in the case of Harry Kane he is now pondering his future at Tottenham Hotspur.

The England captain turns 27 in July and yet for a player of his stature his trophy cabinet is dismally bare.

There were rumours last summer that the striker was weighing up his options after the pain of losing to Liverpool in the Champions League final, but he stayed loyal to Spurs.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

But in a video interview with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp on Instagram, Kane has given his strongest indication yet that he could seek new pastures.

“I love Spurs, I would always love Spurs,” he told Redknapp in response to a question about his commitment to the north London club.

“I have always said that if I don’t feel we are progressing as a team or going in the right direction, I am not someone to stay there for the sake of it.”

Shearer: ‘Kane has to leave if Spurs don’t win a trophy’

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Start your trial today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Mourinho’s mediocrity

It’s no secret that Kane had an excellent working relationship with Mauricio Pochettino - the coach who nurtured him and who was sacked in November after Tottenham’s sluggish start to the season.

Jose Mourinho was appointed the new manager but results have not improved as Tottenham crashed out of the FA Cup and the Champions League prior to the suspension of football.

“I am an ambitious player, I want to improve, I want to get better, I want to become one of the top, top players,” explained Kane in what could be interpreted as a criticism of Tottenham under Mourinho.

“It all depends on what happens to the team and how we progress as a team. It is not a definite that I am going to stay there forever but it is not a no either.

“We’ll see how we get on next season but you know me, I want to win team trophies.”

End of June deadline

The Premier League has been in limbo since early March but reports in today’s newspapers suggest that a plan is being drafted to restart the competition in early June so as to finish the season by 12 July at the latest.

Asked whether such a plan was feasible or whether it would be best to abandon the season, Kane said: “It’s a hard one… my personal opinion, I think we need to try and finish the season, but there needs to be a point where we say enough is enough. There needs to be a limit.

“The limit for me is the end of June. Then we have to look at the options and look ahead to next season. It would have such a knock-on effect for next season.”

As The Times points out, Kane's view might be tainted by self-interest given that if the season - including the European competitions - was abandoned with all results void, then next season Uefa would probably stage the Champions League with the same clubs that qualified in 2018-19.

Today’s back pages

Premier League players face strict lockdown to get season finished

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Start your trial today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––