He now hangs out with hip-hop royalty at glitzy awards but Kane will never lose hunger for goals
CRYSTAL PALACE 0 TOTTENHAM 1 Kane 88
THANK goodness he only allows some things to go to his head.
Last week Harry Kane was presenting a Brit award to Kendrick Lamar (right).
This week he was using his nut to become Tottenham’s saviour.
He simply does not let the big occasion affect him.
No ego, no fanfare, just the graft and the goal to put Spurs into the top four with 10 Premier League games to go.
Mauricio Pochettino has offered every superlative going to describe his England striker over the last three seasons. He found more here after Kane turned potential frustration into lastgasp elation.
Gareth Southgate has one of the game’s best strikers on his hands heading to Russia for the World Cup. If Kane continues this form – on what was actually an off-day for him – then the England boss might be digging out the thesaurus too.
In heading Tottenham’s winner, Kane matched his 35 goals from the whole of last season.
His decider was the 150th goal of his club career. His 102nd in 143 Premier League matches. His 24th in the top flight in this current campaign. His 11th in his last 10 games.
Yes, you can talk about the fact that Spurs kept a clean sheet without both Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld for the first time since Alderweireld joined the club in 2015.
Without Harry Kane, however, Tottenham are just not top-four contenders.
It is the reason why the club are looking to rip up his contract yet again in favour of terms more fitting to his talents.
The win here looked a formality with Palace missing 12 players – including talismanic Wilfried Zaha – with injury.
It turned out to be anything but with the players the Roy Hodgson did have organised, efficient and willing to work hard.
Despite that, Spurs did have chances – only to blow them. Kane somehow screwed a 54thminute sitter wide from Christian Eriksen’s assist.
Kane then sent a late diagonal effort wide and forced a smart save from Wayne Hennessey as Tottenham tightened their grip late on.
Hennessey had already saved smartly, low to his left, from Ben Davies. He denied his Wales team-mate in the first half and saw Dele Alli’s theatrical bid for a penalty waved away in the second.
Kane got stick from the home fans for his reaction to a kick from Patrick van Aanholt in the box.
But it was a foul. He should have had a penalty. His confidence does not evaporate. Two minutes from the end of normal time, Eriksen pinged in a corner and Kane sent a bullet header through Hennessey’s arms.
Harsh on the Wales keeper. Harsh on Hodgson and harsh on defender James Tomkins, off with cramp just minutes before. But Spurs fans will not care.
They are heading for Champions League football again.