Spurs need to do better in big games – and there will be no excuses says skipper

line-up against Liverpool sparked controversy, given the England skipper had only just returned from a seven-week lay-off with an ankle injury.

But he dismissed criticism of Pochettino’s decision to pick him over Lucas Moura, whose hat-trick in the epic 3-2 semi-final comeback win over Ajax got Spurs to the final against all the odds. “That’s football, that’s the game we play,” said Kane. “I think everyone has an opinion, so it is what it is.

“The gaffer made a decision on what he thought was the best for the team and it obviously didn’t work out in our favour. But as a team we all look at each other and we always win and lose together.”

Kane will look forward rather than back now. “I don’t want to watch it,” he said. “As a player, you know when you could have done better, you could have done more.

“It’s a hard one, because it’s probably one of the biggest games we’ll ever play in our careers and to let it slide by is always a tough one to take.

“It’s an experience we need to learn from and it’s not the easiest final to get over but, with the belief we have in the squad, we know we’re capable of doing that. Those type of losses always sta y

with you for a while, I don’t think you ever fully get over them.

“It makes you stronger, it makes you more determined, it builds the fire in the belly to get back there and, when we do hopefully get back there, prove a point.”

Spurs have yet to win a trophy in five years under Pochettino, with Kane admitting there can be “no excuses” for that continuing now they are in their new stadium and ready to go to the next level.

“We go into every season trying to win, but we haven’t done so yet,” said Kane. “It’s down to us, there’s no excuses, there’s nothing we can say.

“As a team we need to do better in the big games and when we get opportunities, we have to take them. It starts now, the hard work, determination and focus for a big season and hopefully we can win that trophy.”

Thirteen defeats in the Premier League last season undermined Tottenham’s title bid, and Kane said: “We know we could have done a lot better in the league.

“There were certain games that were just unaccep table from our point of view, so we need to be more consistent.”