MX23RW : Monday, November 23 10:44:42| >> :120:4508:4508:

Harry Kane credits Jose Mourinho for recent impressive form

Harry Kane credits Jose Mourinho for recent impressive form
© Reuters
Spurs have made an impressive start to the season.

Harry Kane feels he is performing at his best ever level at Tottenham thanks to the influence of Jose Mourinho and a mindset within the squad “to do whatever it takes to get the job done”.

The 27-year-old has already been directly involved in 23 goals in all competitions for Spurs this season, taking his record to an eye-watering 201 goals in 301 appearances for his boyhood club.

Those goalscoring feats have yet to translate into trophies at Tottenham, but this could be the campaign when promise turns into silverware judging by the way things have started.

Serial winner Mourinho’s Spurs spent the international break second in the Premier League standings and the future looks bright in north London.

“We’ve got a long, long way to go,” Kane told the PA news agency. “A long old season.

“I think, as proven in my career so far, it takes a lot to get over the line. We haven’t quite done that yet.

“We’ve been close a few times so we know there’s going to be a lot of hard work from now until then to do that.

“It’s been a good start. Obviously we lost the first game against Everton which was disappointing, but since then we’ve been unbeaten in the league.

“Even the dropped points we had against West Ham and Newcastle with last minute goals should have been wins from our point of view.

“Look, we’re playing well. I still think that we can improve and get better but obviously we’re second in the league.

“We’re in November, there’s still a lot of games to play, but we’re in a good spot.”

Tottenham have a tough-looking schedule coming up after the international break, which Mourinho spent plotting how to kick on through the frantic festive period.

Jose Mourinho has helped get even more out of Harry Kane
Jose Mourinho has helped get even more out of Harry Kane (Richard Heathcote/NMC Pool/PA Wire)

Some expressed concerns about how Kane would fare under the Portuguese, but the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss has helped take his game up a further notch by allowing him to operate more in the number 10 role.

“It’s been great to have him just at the training ground, on the training field,” said Kane, who is supporting the Football Shirt Friday event on November 20 that helps fund the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research into bowel cancer.

“Just learning and seeing how he goes about his business, seeing how he deals with different situations and problems, so that’s all been great to learn.

“I think he saw in my game that I like to drop deep so he made it clear to the others – like Sonny, Stevie, Bale, Lamela, Lucas, all these players – that if I do drop deep then they need to be the ones running in behind.

“I think that’s been the real difference. It’s allowed me to create space and get the ball but have an option going forward as well.

“Yeah, he’s been great and I look forward to obviously the months ahead and getting on really well.”

Asked whether the move into a number 10 role could help prolong his career, Kane said: “Yeah, but I think obviously I’ve still been playing as a nine as well and I think that’s the beauty of what’s been working well this season.

“I’m still a number nine, I can still run in behind, I still hold up the ball, I still bring others into play.

Harry Kane has been a superb all-round frontman this term
Harry Kane has been a superb all-round frontman this term (Alex Livesey/PA)

“But then obviously I can drop deep into them little holes as well, so for a defender difficult to know what to do – whether to come and stay with me or stay in their position.

“Look, I’m still 27 so I’m not really thinking about prolonging my career at the moment.

“But, for me, it’s just about performing every week and I feel like I’m doing that probably at the highest I’ve ever done it.”

Kane’s performances are being matches by those of long-term team-mate Son Heung-min, with the pair’s symbiotic relationship benefiting Spurs in some style.

“I think we’re both at a stage in our careers where we want to be winning stuff – we want to be doing everything to win,” the England captain said.

“We’re both a little bit older, so we’re both probably becoming leaders in the team and Sonny’s definitely taken that role and responsibility on as well.

“We both know our abilities really well as we’ve played with each other for a long time now.

Harry Kane is supporting the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK ahead of Football Shirt Friday on November 20, when people are asked to wear their favourite shirt and donate £5 to fight bowel cancer (Cancer Research UK)

“I think this season for a lot of us was just time to step up, time to do whatever it takes to get the job done and obviously so far so good.

“Sonny’s been finishing a lot of the chances, scoring a lot of goals, creating a lot of chances, so from our point of view, from a team point of view, that’s great.

“If we’re scoring two or three goals a game, then obviously we should be winning the majority of them.”

:: Fans are encouraged to wear their favourite shirt with pride at home, work or school on November 20 as part of Football Shirt Friday and donate £5 to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. For more information visit www.bobbymoorefund.org

ID:422854:cQx

Click here for more stories about Harry Kane

Click here for more stories about Tottenham Hotspur

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Tottenham HotspurSpurs96212191220
2Liverpool96212116520
3Chelsea953122101218
4Leicester CityLeicester96031812618
5Southampton85121612416
6Everton95131916316
7Aston Villa85031911815
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham94231510514
9Crystal Palace84131212013
10Manchester UnitedMan Utd84131314-113
11Arsenal9414910-113
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves841389-113
13Manchester CityMan City83321011-112
14Leeds UnitedLeeds93241417-311
15Newcastle UnitedNewcastle93241015-511
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton92341315-29
17Fulham9117918-94
18West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom9036618-123
19Burnley7025312-92
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd9018415-111

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!