Sunday Mirror

MAUR LOVE FOR HARRY HOTSHOT

- BY STEVE BATES

TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino says he is “in love” with his goal-machine striker Harry Kane.

After seeing the Spurs and England forward score a dazzling double to defeat battling West Ham, Pochettino couldn’t conceal his admiration for his 24-year-old hitman.

The Argentinia­n boss said: “Harry is not only the best English striker, he is one of the best in the world.

“It’s too hard for me to find the right words to describe him.

“I am in love with him like the fans and his team-mates are in love with him. Not only because he scores goals but because of how he is – profession­al, humble and a very good example.

“He keeps all the values that managers like me appreciate a lot and that is why I am in love with him.”

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic was swooning too – despite seeing Kane pile on the misery for his side after three successive clean sheets.

Bilic said: “Of course, I can understand why he says that.

“The best compliment I can give is that our three centre-backs – Jose Fonte, Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna – had a really good game. They were mostly up against him and Dele Alli and they didn’t really have a bad game.

“But still Kane was using the situations and he decided the game for them – and my centre-backs were good. So that tells you everything.

“If there are 10 great strikers he’s up there. If there are two of them he probably isn’t but if there are five or 10 then he definitely is there because he is doing it week in week out now... apart from August.” Pochettino was not happy his new £24million full-back Serge Aurier was sent off in the 69th minute for a second yellow card for fouling Andy Carroll minutes after his first booking. It left Spurs to survive a fierce last 20 minutes of intense pressure from West Ham.

Pochettino said: “The first yellow wasn’t a yellow card. I was disappoint­ed. He got the second yellow card and then the red. But I’m happy with him. He’s settled in well.”

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SEE PULL-OUT

 ??  ?? HUGH SI OF RELIEF Simon Mignolet saves Liverpool’s blushes with a stunning block to parry away Jamie Vardy late’s penalty MY HERO: Kane with Pochettino
HUGH SI OF RELIEF Simon Mignolet saves Liverpool’s blushes with a stunning block to parry away Jamie Vardy late’s penalty MY HERO: Kane with Pochettino
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