Kane rewarded for stellar year
of it converted into opportunities. They certainly didn’t bank on as much help as they were given when going ahead, because Everton scored almost in spite of themselves in the fifth minute. James Mccarthy - a force of nature, as he has been much of the season – gratefully accepted the chance to be the agent of the counterattack after Gareth Barry had beaten Antonio Valencia to Juan Mata’s corner. But Seamus Coleman, whom he released down the right to join in, stumbled over the ball before providing the low crossing which Mcnair’s weak challenge and Danny Blind’s indecision allowed Mccarthy to reclaim and score through David de Gea’s legs. The goalkeeper, for all his plaudits, did not enjoy his most commanding afternoon on LONDON — It took Harry Kane fourur years to become an overnight sensation at Tottenham Hotspur in a season that began on n the bench but is ending with a Young Player of the Year award as a full England international.nal.
His peers in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) had no doubt thehe 21-yearold striker who has scored 30 goals for Spurs and one for England 79 seconds into his debut, was the outstanding young performer of the campaign.
He was also voted runner-up forr player of the year behind Chelsea forward Eden Hazard.
No-one could have imagined how his season was going to pan out, with Kane alsoso captaining the club that nurtured his talentsnts and becoming the first Tottenham player since Gary Lineker in 1991-92 to hit the 30-goaloal mark.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettinoettino preferred Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel anuel Adebayor as his front two for Premierer League matches at the start of the campaign,aign, with Kane the third-choice striker amongng the substitutes.
But he gave the youngster a startingting role in Europa League matches, and Kanene grabbed his chance. While Soldado and Adebayor were misfiring in the league, Kane was scoring in Europe with the turning point coming at the end of October.
He got a hat-trick against Asteras Tripolis to take his tally to six in four European games, then came on to score a last-minute winner against Aston Villa in the league before netting what proved to be the winner versus Asteras in Greece.
With the Tottenham fans clamouring for him to start in the league, Pochettino gave Sunday.
United lacked the control they required to seize the game and Marouane Fellaini’s booking for his second foul in 60 seconds – on Ross Barkley – contributed to van Gaal’s decision to limit him to 45 minutes. There were occasional modest incursions, with United making some capital out of targeting Coleman’s flank and Mcnair displaying that elegance emerging out of defence.
But Everton have discovered some defensive solidity during a run of five wins in six which has dispelled the relegation talk which briefly involved them. The wisdom of securing Aaron Lennon’s services was also revealed and what the expected loss of Kevin Mirallas will mean, as they showed United what attacking him his chance in November against Stoke City. He started the following week too -and scored -- versus Hull City and has never looked back.
“Harry has had a massive impact on English football this season,” Argentine Pochettino said when Kane was short-listed for the PFA awards last week.
“I don’t think too many people expected Harry would show the performances that he has.”
After Kane scored his 30th goal in all menace actually looks like: not something supporters here have been able to see too much this season.
They had just threatened to double their lead - Aaron Lennon sending Coleman sprinting off down the right again for a cross fractionally closer to Chris Smalling than Romelu Lukakau – when they accomplished just that. A lapse by Valencia, failing to challenge John Stones after he made a circular run at Leighton Baines’ header, allowed the 20-year-old to despatch the header which flew in off the underside of the bar. Van Gaal had seen enough. With the immobility of Wayne Rooney at the top of the team a part if his problems, he sent on Radamel Falcao for Fellaini at the start of the second half and Angel di Maria appeared for Juan Mata three minutes past the hour.
But with Rooney dropping behind Falcao, Di Maria struggled to find the self-confidence and self-expression on his game which are currently shot at in his game. And though there was a hint of a rare and spectacular combination between the signature buys of last summer, when Falcao got a little purchase on the Argentine’s lofted cross, the finality of things was then established.
The third goal was the most desperate by any measure, Lukaku stopping his run onto Barklay’s lofted pass because he was offside, but United’s defenders halting theirs too, leaving the substitute Mirallas as the only player interested in a ball when the music stopped. He gratefully planted in the bottom left hand corner of the net. There was still time for Mirallas to cut in, 20 yards, from the left and unfurl a shot which de Gea topped over the bar, before the finish.
The context is as significant as the result for United. The Everton they lost to last season were feeling rejuvenated under Martinez and believing that their new manager was taking them to new heights. The Everton they lost to on Sunday had not experienced as significant a victory since that day last year. Van Gaal said these things can happen on the road. Somewhere in the Basque country, Moyes would have heard those words and smiled ruefully. — Independent. competitionscompetitio against Newcastle United last week, the Spurs manager added: “I congratulate him.
“He deservesdes this moment. It is an historic thing. He is happy in the changing room. His team matesmat and supporters are happy, and so is the c club. “It is his first full season in the first team and he has the potential to be even better.” Kane started training with Spurs when he w was 11, turning professional at 17 in 2010.
AlthoughAlthoug he made his debut for the club a year later,later a long and winding road still lay ahead of him.h
Kane w was loaned to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norw Norwich City and Leicester City before returning to White Hart Lane last season.
He bringsbrin more to the team than goals, though, withw his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play and the Spurs fans have recognisedreco the rare home-grown talent as somethingsometh special with a chant that he is “one of ou our own”.
With a strong physique, Kane not only plays as a striker, but makes runs from deep in his ow own half, and many have compared him to Teddy Sheringham who played a similar role for Tottenham, Manchester United and England.
If Kane enjoys half the success treble-winner Sheringham had, he will have a glittering career to look back on.
Fixtures May 2: Leicester v Newcastle, Liverpool v Queens Park Rangers, West Ham v Burnley, Swansea v Stoke, Sunderland v Southampton, Aston Villa v Everton, Manchester United v West Bromwich. — Reuters
JOHN Stones leaves Falcao for dead in Sunday’s match at Goodison Park.
PFA Young Player of the Year Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.
