FOWLER Harry has fought his way to the very top ...that is why he’s BEST in the league

played for Independiente when he was 15 after all, and since then has had a smooth progression to the top of the world game. He has a talent that was always recognised and nurtured.

If you look at Kane though, he’s never had it easy, and that interests me. I recently completed my Pro Licence coaching badge, and as part of it, did a study on the debate between nature and nurture in football. My conclusions may surprise you. I know people have always thought that it all came so easily to me, that I had a natural talent which was always going to make me a top striker, but believe me, that really does my head in.

If you’d been there with me on the council rec when I was a kid, practicing until it went dark and my tea had gone in the dog, then you’d maybe realise it wasn’t all about natural talent – that’s what I like about Harry.

He wasn’t always singled out as a potential great. In fact, I saw something with him recently where he said he was pushed out on loan a lot – and didn’t get games even at the smaller clubs.

So what did he do? He went back to Tottenham and worked even harder. He sat down and looked at where he needed to improve, and then put the hours in to get better.

I’m not saying he wasn’t born with anything, he obviously had a talent, but that’s not always enough. When he was a kid he was let go by Arsenal and turned down by Spurs, but he kept going.

When he was farmed out on loan to Norwich and Leicester, he got hardly any starts there. But he kept at it.

Do you know what as well? I’m pretty sure when Mauricio Pochettino came in he didn’t fancy him, as he didn’t get a Premier League start for four months, despite scoring a few the previous season. Harry had to prove himself again.

And I love that fact that he wasn’t necessarily born a striker, but made himself into one. A world-class one.

The fact he went away and worked and worked until he got through, it’s inspirational. People forget, but Cristiano Ronaldo did that too. He had talent, but his training work made him a star.

Kane may not have had that star quality as a kid, perhaps he lacked the blinding pace and athleticism they are always desperate for these days, but I can see one ability that all top strikers need – intuition.

Everyone goes on about that awareness, but it’s not just running into space. It’s about looking at defenders and knowing where they are, what they are going to do. Aguero has it. Funnily enough, Roberto Firmino has that too. He’s a different striker to Kane. But his qualities fit with Liverpool.

So it will be a fascinating contest at Anfield this afternoon, with two of the cleverest forwards in world football pitting their wits against each other. are simple and clear too! It’s not always pretty, and it can be pretty basic at times. But Palace would have settled for that when he arrived, given how dismal their start was.

I think they will be safe under him, and could even be pushing into the top half of the table come the end of the season, given how tight it is up there.

I look at other clubs in the relegation argument, and they don’t have an obvious Premier League squad. Huddersfield spring to mind, as do Palace’s opponents this weekend, Newcastle.

It’s a huge game for both, and it will be an interesting contest because both Roy and Rafa Benitez are similar in many ways, in that they don’t over-complicate things, and they can have a pretty pragmatic approach when required.

Though they will always be viewed very differently down Anfield way.