Why Harry Kane is the Answer for Tottenham Hotspur
It’s been a longtime coming for both Tottenham and young striker Harry Kane. Kane has spent the past couple of seasons on loan with various clubs, while Tottenham has been in dire need of some offensive sparkplug in the 2014 Premiership campaign. And that sparkplug just may be the 21 year old Europa League phenom.
Harry Kane’s path to Tottenham’s starting 18 wasn’t always easy. Venturing out to other sides in the Premiership ajd Championship as well as League 1, Harry has been the good soldier in Tottenham’s ranks since 2009. He was broke into Spurs’ first team in 2013, making 19 appearances and netting four goals across all competitions.
In 2014, he has all but outdone himself. In Capitol 1 and Europa Cup action, he’s tallied 7 goals in 6 appearances as of November 4th. However, despite his success in Europe and in the English League Cup, he has yet to feature in Mauricio Pochettino’s Starting XI in a Premier League game. Before Saturday, he had made five cameo appearances as a sub for Spurs, but not quite exerting the same influence that made him one of Europa League’s breakout stars.
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That all changed against Aston Villa. Kane was brought on as a substitute, and scored the game winner in the 90th minute to give Spurs a much needed victory over Paul Lambert’s struggling side.
It is not unheard of for a team to do well in league play while struggling in tournaments, or vice versa. Heck, it’s what Borussia Dortmund is going through right now. Players are no exception. However for a team that has been offensively inept to say the very least, Harry Kane may be exactly what White Hart Lane’s faithful have been waiting for.
Kane is described by British newspaper The Mirror as a “proper footballer” and we find no reason to disagree. He is an incredibly gifted athlete who knows his way around the pitch. His contributions are solid on both sides of the ball, and he can be a threat off the dribble as well as at the end of long balls and crosses.
He’s as deadly with his head as he is with his feet, and has a knack for getting fouled in dangerous places. From there, his uncanny free kick abilities do the rest of the work. Perhaps most importantly, he takes care of the ball but isn’t afraid to fight for it back on the rare lost possession.
It’s also worth mentioning that Kane is incredibly humble and quiet; a true British footballer. His actions in reprimanding fellow Spur Erik Lamela for his card antics did not go unnoticed by fans, and quickly made him more of a favorite than he was before.
In just a short time, Harry Kane has gone from youth product to being shuffled around on different loan deals, to super-sub, and hopefully an impact player in the starting XI going forward. From a hat trick over Asteras Tripoli to a game winner vs. Aston Villa, the young Chingford native has made his case time and time again.
It’s hard to believe he will not be a first choice striker going forward, especially considering the inconsistent form of fellow strikers Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor. The results have spoken, the fans have spoken, and hopefully Harry Kane’s name is spoken in Spurs’ locker room the next time Mauricio Pochettino announces his side’s next starting lineup.