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Antonio Conte has no problem with Harry Kane’s “great ambition” yet hopes he can be the man to convince the striker to stay at Tottenham.
Kane pushed for a move away from Spurs ahead of this season, with Manchester City widely considered his most likely destination.
But Tottenham stood firm and Kane was forced to stay in London, toiling for much of the season while City have charged to the top of the Premier League table.
The England captain is still without a major honour for either club or country, explaining his desire to depart his boyhood club.
However, Saturday’s match between City and Tottenham provided cause for optimism, as Kane brilliantly led his side to a dramatic 3-2 win at the league leaders.
Kane scored two and had a hand in the visitors’ other goal in a performance that was widely praised.
His future plans have therefore returned to the forefront of discussion ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Burnley.
Kane’s wish to win trophies fits with Conte’s own plans, though, having been appointed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having lifted five league titles across his previous three club jobs with Inter, Chelsea and Juventus.
“Harry is a player with great ambition and it must be this way because a player like him, I repeat, we are talking about a world-class striker,” Conte said.
“He has to be ambitious. For sure, for a player and for a striker, it’s very important to improve, to beat records.
“Records are important but, at the same time, it’s also important at the end of your career to lift trophies, because only if you win and lift trophies can you go into the story of the club.
“My task in this moment is to try to improve him. But in the same way, with the other players, to become more complete.
“For sure, to improve a player to stay in this level is not easy because the space [to improve] is not so much. But I still think he’s improving a lot and Harry is another player who gives me great availability.”
Suggesting he could have a hand in any decision Kane makes on his next move, Conte added: “There is only one way to convince this sort of player.
“It is to work, it is to convince of your football knowledge and to improve them. Only in this way you have the respect of your players.
“I have only this way to show to my players – I am here because we are trying to start to build something important together.
“It won’t be easy but now I think it will be very good to continue this way and I think that Harry, like the other players, understood the situation.
“They also understood that the club wanted to give an input by appointing a coach that in the past won things. We have to train for these three or four months to try to improve and then continue to build something important.
“But I understand then that every single player has to make the best decision at the end of the season.”
