SHEAR AMBITION
KANE TARGETS GOALS RECORD
ANTONIO CONTE has revealed his favourite football saying was told to him by long-term friend and Lecce sporting director Pantaleo Corvino.
“You can make a mistake about your wife but not about your striker,” Conte quoted.
Luckily, after 24 years with Elisabetta and three months with Harry Kane, the Italian has done well on both counts.
Kane makes no secret of his desire to be the perfect striker.
“Last season was amazing to get the Golden Boot and the playmaker award as well,” Kane told BT Sport.
“And Alan Shearer’s record is there to be done. There’s 90-odd goals to get there. It’s an aim to try and reach it.
“I feel like I’ve got many more years to go and it would be incredible. Shearer was an incredible striker so to even be close is something I want to achieve.”
Kane is actually 87 behind Shearer’s Premier League record of 260 goals, and will get the chance to add to his tally against Burnley tonight – even after picking up a knock on his back against Manchester City.
Conte said: “He had a hit on his back but he has to play! If he has one leg he has to play!”
The pair have been close since Conte arrived in November.
The real strength of their relationship is Conte’s determination to help Kane to become even better – however fine the margins. The Spurs head coach said: “My task is to try to improve him.
“But in the same way, with the other players, to become more complete. Strikers are very, very important because, for me, strikers are a point of reference and every situation we prepare is for strikers to give them their opportunity to score.
“There is only one way to convince this sort of player.
“It is to work, to convince them of your football knowledge and to
improve them. Only in this way you have the respect of your players.”
In return, they have to respect the manager and Conte’s track record helps in that regard. “Harry, like the other players, understands the situation,” Conte said. “He also understands that the club wanted to give some impetus by appointing a coach that in the past won things.”
“That’s all that I have to show to my players – I am here at this club because we’re trying to build something important together.” BURNLEY (Probable): Pope; Roberts, Mee, Collins, Pieters; Lennon, Cork, Brownhill, McNeil; Cornet, Weghorst. TOTTENHAM (Probable): Lloris; Dier, Romero, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.