FOXES’ SCRAP METTLE
After personal glory last year, 2019 is all about team success for Harry
HARRY KANE says he is determined to make it a 2019 Cup of cheer for Tottenham.
The England skipper celebrated the New Year with an MBE following an astonishing 12 months of personal glory.
But the striker says it’s his New Year’s wish to stick a trophy in the cabinet at Tottenham’s new stadium after the club’s 11-year silverware drought.
Kane’s incredible year saw him win the World Cup Golden Boot for his six goals in taking England to the semi-finals.
Tottenham sit second in the Premier League table and next week face the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
Tomorrow night, they start out on the FA Cup trail against League Two Tranmere.
Spurs’ last cup success was a decade ago when they lifted the League Cup. Kane says he’d love to put personal glory aside and see Mauricio Pochettino’s men give the fans something to celebrate.
Their title chase was derailed at Christmas when they surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 at home to Wolves.
Kane said: “Wishes for 2019? Same as last year – to win a team trophy. It didn’t quite happen but that’s the goal and that’s what I’m aiming for personally. Hopefully, we can achieve that.”
They trail Liverpool by six points after just coming up short in their last three title campaigns, with a second and two third-place finishes.
Kane said: “It’s not in our control. We can only do what we can do and try to win our games.
“Over the past few years we’ve been in this position with Leicester and then Chelsea the year after, so we’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves.” He admits he’ll be rooting for Manchester City to put one over Liverpool tonight and pull the reins in on the title favourites.
“Winning games is all we can do and we’ll see what happens with Liverpool and City, but we can’t think too much about other teams,” said Kane.
“We’ve been there before and, from this stage on, we’ve done really well. We won a lot of games and I think in previous years the teams above us have just won their games as well.
“We can’t take anything for granted, just do what we can. Liverpool are out in front at the moment and deservedly so because they are in top form.
“We’d probably prefer City to win (tonight’s match) to make it a little bit closer but that’s not in our control either.”
The 25-year-old hitman says the defeat against promoted Wolves was a real jolt. “It was just one of those things – a kind of kick up the bum for us,” he added.
“We were playing well, winning games, then that happened. We were 1-0 up and, all of a sudden, we were 3-1 down.
“It just shows that in the Premier League you can’t rest on your laurels. You have to keep working hard and a lot of energy is needed. I was proud of the boys for the way we bounced back against Cardiff.” HARRY MAGUIRE hailed Leicester’s “team performance” for bouncing back after losing to struggling Cardiff.
The Foxes took three points at Everton on New Year’s Day, three days after losing at home to the Bluebirds.
That defeat followed consecutive wins over Chelsea and Manchester City, and after the victory at Goodison Park, Leicester centre-back Maguire said: “It wasn’t the greatest game, it was a bit scrappy. It’s a typical great away team performance.
“We were really solid, we didn’t concede many chances and always caused them a few problems on the break, especially in the second half.
“I feel it was a deserved win.”