Pearson is keen to do a Stella job
Feb 2017: Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0 Oct 2016: Liverpool 2 Tottenham 1 Aug 2016: Tottenham 1 Liverpool 1 Apr 2016: Liverpool 1 Tottenham 1 Oct 2015: Tottenham 0 Liverpool 0
Tottenham – 47 wins Liverpool – 77 wins Draws – 42 SPUR-FECT PAIR: Kane and boss Pochettino
HARRY KANE faces Liverpool today as the new hot property in Europe, with Real Madrid and Barcelona eyeing summer moves for the Tottenham striker.
But just four years ago, England’s highest-profile player was at a crossroads in his career.
He was on loan at Leicester City in the Championship – and not pulling up any trees. So Leicester’s manager at that time, Nigel Pearson, insists the credit for Kane’s development to superstar status has to go to White Hart Lane boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The Tottenham manager said recently that he “loves” Kane, 24.
And Pearson believes the feeling should be mutual.
Kane scored only two goals in his 15 appearances for Leicester and Pearson said: “It was difficult for him but it was for the team at that time.
“The harmony in the camp wasn’t as good as it had been or was to be later but we managed to scrape into the play-offs after being in a good position.
“We lost at that stage to Watford to end our promotion hopes for that season. “Harry was competent and I’m sure he’d look back on it as good experience.
“But I wouldn’t have seen him reaching the heights he has hit. There was talk at the time of him going to Hull. “I don’t know if that would have been a permanent deal, but clubs usually send out players on loan for one of two reasons.
“It’s either to help their development and see if they are capable of playing at first-team level – or with a view to moving them on.
“It is a good opportunity to see whether they are going to be good enough.
“The possibility of him signing
‘He’s in the right team with the right manager’
NIGEL PEARSON could not have picked a better place to learn about managing abroad.
The former Leicester and Derby boss has based himself in the beautiful university city of Leuven, half an hour from Brussels.
It is famous for being the home of one of the world’s most popular beers – Stella Artois.
But it is also renowned in Belgium for having the country’s most famous university, which dominates the city.
Leuven is the Oxford or Cambridge of Belgium. And Pearson, 54, is learning fast, judging by his results.
His OH Leuven side are away to Beerschot today, having won their last four matches after drawing the first game of the Pearson era.
The aim is to graduate to Belgium’s First Division A from First Division B and the remarkable thing about the people who have entrusted him with that responsibility is that they are the King Power Group, who also own Leicester City.
Yes, the same Srivaddhanaprabha family from Thailand who controversially sacked him at Leicester two years ago after he had led the club to promotion – then saved them, against the odds, from relegation.
Pearson also laid the foundations for the Foxes’ sensational Premier League title triumph under Claudio Ranieri two seasons ago.
King Power also chopped Craig Shakespeare – Pearson’s ex-assistant – last week.
But they are an organisation who do not hold grudges and have shown they have not forgotten about Pearson’s talent, despite their previous disagreements.
In fact, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha – son of owner Vichai – who has already rebuilt a strong relationship with the former Premier League manager, said: “Nigel will strengthen the Leuven set-up for many years to come.”
Pearson said of that statement: “Well, under Belgian law if you lease a property it has to be for three, six or nine years and I’ve just moved into a house here.
“I’ve also applied for residency. I’ve always fancied working abroad, experiencing a different culture and I’m going to embrace that and integrate myself.
“And it’s not as if the language is a problem. It might be French or Flemish here but everyone speaks English.”
Unbeaten Pearson, who has signed a three-year contract, has immediately taken OHL to the top of their division.
But he insists he has not wound up in Belgium because of bitter blows at Leicester and Derby, where he mutually agreed to leave after a fall-out with the owner which meant he narrowly missed out on the Middlesbrough job.
He said: “I didn’t chase this job. I got an approach from Vichai and we sorted it ourselves without involving agents.
“The owner knew me and how I work and I know him and how he works. It’s a similar model to the one at Leicester.
“King Power bought Leicester when they were in the Championship and they’ve done something similar here. They like to develop a club.
“I don’t think about it being the biggest challenge of my career because it’s abroad – just a different challenge. But as it was at Leicester, obviously the aim is promotion.”
If that is achieved, then Pearson will have graduated with honours in the great learning centre of Belgium.