MY ACCOUNT
Tottenham striker Harry Kane insists he is just focusing on the remainder of the season rather than thinking about his future.
Kane came close to leaving his boyhood club last year and was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City, but the Premier League champions were unable to agree a fee with Spurs.
The England captain appeared to have been affected by the saga after scoring just once in his first 15 games in the league this season, but he has rediscovered his form after plundering 10 in 13 top-flight appearances since, including two against City in the recent 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.
Kane appears to be happier with life at Spurs since Antonio Conte arrived as head coach in November, but questions around his future will likely resurface should the club fail to qualify for the Champions League again.
Tottenham lost 3-2 at top-four rivals Manchester United on Saturday thanks to a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo, and they sit in eighth place in the Premier League, six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal having played a game more.
Despite a slow start to the campaign, Kane now sits joint-third in the Premier League top-scorer table, level with Ivan Toney and team-mate Son Heung-min on 11 goals, one behind Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota (12) and nine off current top scorer Mohamed Salah (20).
Kane has an expected goals figure of 12.5 in the league this season, but his shot conversion rate of 12.94 per cent still remains some way behind most others near the top of the scoring charts, including Toney (19.64 per cent) and Son (19.30 per cent).
Ahead of the trip to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday, Kane spoke to Sky Sports and discussed his own form and thoughts on his future.
“I’m the first to look at my own standards,” the 28-year-old said. “In the Premier League, towards the first few months or so, I wasn’t at the standard that I was always reaching.
“It was no time to panic or sulk, it was a time to work hard and since Antonio’s come in, we’ve had a good understanding with each other. As a player, if you’re improving under a coach, that’s the most important thing.
“It’s when you’re there and not sure where you’re going and where the club’s going and that’s the hardest part as a player. I definitely feel like I’m improving, and the team is with Antonio. That motivates you to be even better. Hopefully, we can end the season and give the top four a real go.
“Obviously, it’s always an aim to get in the Champions League, for the club. Personally, you want to be in the best competitions in the world. My focus is on this year; getting top four is the most important goal for us now.
“There are 11 games left and if we can get on a run, this is more than possible. That’s all I can control and that’s all the manager can control as well. Let’s see where we end up.”
