Kane: Spurs need trophies for me to stay

Harry Kane has set out exactly what Tottenham Hotspur must do to make sure he never has his head turned, reiterating the fact he wants to start winning trophies.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Kane loves Tottenham enough to join the list of one-club legends, but knows Spurs cannot take the 24-year-old for granted.

Philippe Coutinho’s £142million move to Barcelona has again shown how hard it is for clubs to keep their best players if they decide to leave.

Kane’s contract runs to 2022 and there has been no suggestion of either Tottenham allowing him to leave or of the striker pushing for a move in the near future.

But the England international could earn significantly more money by leaving Spurs and, more importantly, would be guaranteed silverware at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Asked what Tottenham needed to do to keep him, Kane replied: “I’ve always said: keep progressing, keep getting better, start winning trophies. That’s the aim, as long as the club keep doing that then, yeah I’m happy here.”

Tottenham’s progression under Pochettino has been rapid, and qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, in which Kane and his team-mates will face Juventus, has taken the club another step forwards. But Spurs face a battle to finish in the top four of the Premier League and there is concern that they will be outspent by all of their rivals during the January and summer transfer windows.

Moving to the new stadium will also constitute progress for Tottenham, but events on the pitch are what will keep Kane happy or leave him wondering whether he will have to move to achieve his goals. There have been no recent talks over a new contract, and Kane agreed with his manager that it was pointless to try to force a player to stay if they want a transfer.

He said: “I think if a player wants to go then why would you stop him? He’s not going to be in the club, he’s not going to play every game, he’s not going to put his heart on the line. From the Coutinho point of view I think he’s been very professional. Look, Liverpool got a good offer from Barca and accepted it, so I wouldn’t say they’re powerless. But I can see why if a player wants to go you would let him go.”

While the title may be out of reach, Tottenham feel they can make progress in the FA Cup as Kane seeks a first medal success.

“We’ve been close in the league the last couple of years, but the aim of the game is to win trophies and that’s what we’ve got to try and do,” said Kane. “We’re still in the Champions League and the FA Cup and we know Champions League will be tough, so the FA Cup is one we have a good chance in. We’ll be one of the favourites.

“We want to win a trophy somehow and the FA Cup is a competition we’re looking at to do that.”