KANE: WE MUST MAKE THE MOST OF CONTE WHILE HE’S AT SPURS... HE’S ONE OF THE BEST
BY
HARRY KANE believes Tottenham must take full advantage of Antonio Conte’s expertise.
But the striker says he is not ready to talk out about his own future, and restated his desire to play “at the highest level possible”.
The England forward, who pressed for a move to Manchester City last summer, has rediscovered his best form since
Conte took charge in
November.
He credits the
Italian with turning around the club’s fortunes and believes he can reverse the slide away from the upper reaches of the
Premier League table.
Kane said: “He’s one of the best managers in the world. We’ve not really reached the heights we’ve wanted to as a club over the last couple of years. It’s a big opportunity now to take advantage of what we’ve got.
“He’s a manager that demands a lot. He’s doing everything he can and as players we’ve responded really well to him and everyone’s working as hard as possible to get success.”
Spurs travel to Chelsea tomorrow and Conte has made it clear he wants to overhaul the squad. And Kane admits it is up to the players to show they still have a part to play in the manager’s plans.
He said: “We’ve taken a dip in terms of where we were three or four years ago. It’s important to realise that - that is the truth. We need to respond, and as players it’s our responsibility to try to show the manager that we’re capable of taking this team back to the highest level.”
But Kane insists he is concentrating on the current campaign and is not ready to discuss his longer term plans. “I just want to be playing at the highest level possible,” he added.
“My focus is fully on this season and trying to get as high up the league as possible.
“We’re still in the FA Cup and we’re trying to win a trophy.
“I’m not going to go into loads of detail about anything else going on. It’s just about working hard for the team and trying to improve.”
Conte admits Kane surpassed his expectations, saying: “Sometimes you can find players with great talent but who are lazy or that don’t want to put themselves to the service of the team. Instead, Harry has all these qualities and honestly I am really surprised, in a positive way, to see these positive characteristics about a player.”
Hugo Lloris signed a new contract (above) and Conte wants to bring in new faces before this month’s transfer window closes. He added: “I have spoken with the club and I hope the club will listen to me.”