Disappointed Kane targets team trophies over individual awards - 7M sport

Disappointed Kane targets team trophies over individual awards



Posted Thursday, April 29, 2021 by ESPN

Disappointed Kane targets team trophies over individual awards

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has reiterated his desire to win team trophies after describing his latest individual honour as a "bittersweet" moment.

The England captain turns 28 in July and is enjoying one of the finest individual seasons of his career, having scored 31 goals and registered 16 assists in all competitions. That form was recognised on Tuesday as Kane won Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards, but Kane said the campaign has been a disappointing one as his search for silverware continues.

"Individual awards are great, they are fantastic achievements. Probably when I look back at the end of my career I will go over and take in a little bit more," he said.

"The goal right now as a player is to win team trophies. As much as this is great, I want to be winning the biggest prizes that there is to offer as a team, and we are not quite doing that. It is one of them, it is bittersweet. I would rather be winning team trophies and this one. It is what it is. I am proud to win it. It means it has been a good season on the pitch, so I have just got to try and continue what I am doing."

Tottenham, seventh in the table and five points off the top four with five games remaining, were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in Sunday's EFL Cup final at the end of a week which began with Jose Mourinho's sacking.

And Kane, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid, said the campaign has fallen short as he continues to seek trophies.

"It has been a disappointing season if I am totally honest," he said. "We have had so many opportunities and been in so many games where we have been ahead of have been in a great position going into the last 15-20 minutes, and we have not quite got over the line for one reason or another.

"I think when we look back, we were in a great position come November and then that spell over December and January really put a halt to what we were trying to achieve. We have still got loads to improve on.

"I guess the only thing now is to try and win the last five games and try and make that Champions League spot. All in all, it has been disappointing and I think as players we have got to take responsibility and go away in the summer and focus on what we can improve and do better."

Mourinho was dismissed after 17 months in charge and replaced by former player Ryan Mason on an interim basis, with sources telling ESPN that several players had become disillusioned under the Portuguese manager.

Kane was one squad member who thrived under Mourinho, however, with his 47 goal involvements the highest tally of any season in his career, featuring 16 assists largely achieved from a tactical shift which maximised his tendency to take up deeper positions in matches.

"He is a fantastic manager," Kane said. "He has managed the biggest players at the biggest clubs in the world. He came in with a real understanding of what he wanted.

"We had good conversations early and that continued on. Probably the style of play, I have said all along, I have always liked to drop deep, but the biggest change was people were running in behind if I was dropping deep. And just using all the tools to try and exploit the opposition weaknesses.

"We just had a good relationship. I feel like my game has been evolving over the last three or four years anyway and it was just a good match up. It was a shame that we could not go on and do better things or win any trophies, but I will take the experience I had with him for the rest of my career for sure."

Kane, who has three years remaining on his Tottenham contract, has targeted playing for another 10 years.

"I think even the way the game has changed and evolved, with the emphasis on recovery and the sports science and the data we can collect now, I feel like the prime for a good professional footballer should be early 30s, going to mid 30s," he said.

"There is no reason, if you keep your body in good shape and do the right things off the pitch, that you can't play at the highest level for a long period of time.

"You could even go with [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, obviously you have got [Karim] Benzema, who are still doing it into their 30s. So there are so many examples of the top players playing for many years, and playing at a high level, until their mid 30s to late 30s.

"That's definitely a goal of mine, to be playing as long as possible and it is definitely achievable. Look, I am only 27, so there is still a good amount of years before I even get to that stage. But, for sure, I feel like the aim is to play well into the 30s and for as long as possible."



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