HARRY KANE PREPARES FOR UEFA DEBUT
Last year’s top scorer prepares for Champions League debut
HARRY Kane scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi last year, but it is on the Champions League stage that the prolific Tottenham striker must deliver to be truly measured against the five-time World Players of the Year.
Kane gets his chance when Europe’s premier club competition returns tonight as he leads Spurs into the lion’s den of Juventus’s Allianz stadium in Turin, where the Italians have just lost once in 27 Champions League games.
“Massive game, but that’s what you look forward to as a player,” Kane said after deciding the North London derby in Spurs’ favour on Saturday with his 32nd goal of the season.
“You want to test yourself against the best, and Juventus have been amazing in the Champions League recently, so looking forward to it.”
They do not come much better than Juve’s defence, led by legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and veteran rugged defender Giorgio Chiellini, who have conceded once in their last 16 games.
“Harry Kane is a fantastic player,” Chiellini said
“He played against us three years ago and he has really improved..
“Now he scores more than Messi in a calendar year – and that’s very different to scoring more than Chiellini!”
The Italian champions blunted Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar over two legs to dump out Barcelona en route to their second final in three years last season.
And German midfielder Sami Khedira believes stopping Kane will be just as big a task.
“Harry Kane for me is maybe the most complete striker,” the German midfielder said.
“He is strong, good with his head, fast, good with his feet, can score with one touch, he can dribble.
“For me he’s an amazing player and still young, so Tottenham are lucky to have him.”
How long they will have is a constant source of speculation as, despite steady progress in four seasons under Mauricio Pochettino, Kane is still to win any silverware.
Pochettino insisted that Kane was Tottenham’s present and future after he again proved Arsenal’s scourge with his seventh goal in as many North London derbies on Saturday.
“Sometimes you believe that he is my player and I try to boost him,” the Argentine said.
“I’m telling you and I tell again, in my experience in football, he is one of the best.”
Even opposition managers are lining up to hail Kane as world class.
Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger said: “We were caught by a super striker, he is one of the best in the world.” – AFP