'Take advantage of Conte': Kane amplifies need to work hard to boost Tottenham's return to 'highest level'
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Harry Kane has urged his Tottenham teammates to take advantage of playing under one of the best managers in the world - Antonio Conte.
FollowEver since Antonio Conte took over as Tottenham Hotspur's manager, the North London club have shown moments of brilliance on the field. On Wednesday night, the Lilywhites showcased one of the craziest comebacks in Premier League history after winger Steven Bergwijn scored twice in stoppage time to register an emphatic 3-2 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. One player who will look to provide Tottenham with continued success is striker Harry Kane.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, the 28-year-old England international urged hit Tottenham teammates to 'take advantage of playing under 'one of the best managers in the world' Antonio Conte and strive hard to return the North London club to the 'highest level'.
"He's one of the best managers in the world. We've not reached the heights we've wanted to as a club over the last couple of years. It's a big opportunity now to take advantage of what we've got," the striker told Sky Sports.
Stating that Conte is a manager that demands a lot from his players, Kane added that the Italian is doing everything he can, and the players have responded well to him. "Everyone's working as hard as possible to get success. That's the ultimate goal for everyone here at the club," the Englishman remarked.
Tottenham had a decent run between 2016 and 2019 under manager Mauricio Pochettino, finishing in the top four for four consecutive seasons in the Premier League. However, since the Argentinian was sacked in November 2019, just months after leading the side to the Champions League final, Spurs have recorded 6th and 7th-place finishes in the EPL table. The North London club worked hard to repeat the success they attained during Pochettino's time under the services of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo but could not put up anything remarkable.
However, Harry Kane admits Tottenham have 'taken a dip' over the last few seasons but expressed confidence that Antonio Conte - a Premier League and FA Cup-winning manager with Chelsea - can change their fortunes if the players meet his demands.
"You need to be honest with yourself. As a club, we've not achieved what we've wanted to over the last couple of years for sure. We've taken a dip in terms of where we were three or four years ago. You must realise that - that is the truth. We need to respond, and as players, it's our responsibility to try to show the manager that we're capable of taking this team back to the highest level," Kane told Sky Sports.
Since Tottenham reached their first Champions League final in 2019, players including Christian Eriksen, Kieran Trippier, Erik Lamela, Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Sissoko have left the club. Kane, one of the two current players at the club before Pochettino's arrival, believes that the departure of essential players negatively affected the team's overall performance.
"Players come and go, and sometimes it disrupts the team a little bit. Coaches come and go, and it takes time to adapt. The fact is, in the Premier League especially, so many teams are so good, and everyone's building to try and break into that top six. There's a good eight or nine teams who are fighting for those places," the forward noted.
"If you don't get one or two things right then, you can fall behind the pack, and that has happened to us. So we need to be careful that we don't keep falling. We're feeling confident that we can do that, especially since the manager's come in," Kane added.
Although the 28-year-old expressed excitement working with Antonio Conte, Kane has not committed his future to Tottenham beyond the end of this season. The star striker has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract and has been seeking to leave in a bid to boost his chances of winning silverware. Premier League champions Manchester City, who have been hunting a striker since Sergio Aguero's departure, were keen to sign Kane, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy refused to sanction the sale.
When Sky Sports asked Kane if the arrival of Conte has added a sense of the club heading in the right direction, making him feel content, the forward said that all he wants to do is play at the highest level possible. Stating that his focus is currently on this season, given that an FA Cup win is still up for grabs, Kane said, "I'm not going to go into loads of detail about anything else going on. It's just about working hard for the team and trying to improve."
Tottenham, who are now 5th in the table, remain unbeaten in nine Premier League games under Antonio Conte. On Sunday, the team travels next to Stamford Bridge, eyeing a Carabao Cup semi-final redemption against Chelsea.
