Trophies 'the only way' to convince Harry Kane to stay at Tottenham, says Antonio Conte
- Planet Sport writer
- 23 February 2022
Conte hopeful that he can help Kane achieve everything he wants to without leaving Tottenham.
Antonio Conte says winning trophies is 'the only way' to convince Harry Kane to stay at Tottenham, but he hopes he can deliver that for the England striker.
Kane's future has been uncertain after he asked to leave Spurs at the end of last season. Manchester City made four approaches to sign him and he was very keen to make that move, but Tottenham blocked it.
It has seemingly taken Kane a while to get over that disappointment, but he was back to his brilliant best as Tottenham beat Man City at the Etihad last week.
Conte, though, says he knows what it will take to see Kane remain at Tottenham long term.
"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 and 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."
Spurs' best chance of getting back to the top table of English football is giving Conte the tools to succeed.
But the Italian says he also has to convince the players he is the man to take them on the journey.
He said: "There is only one way to convince this sort of player. It is to work, it is to convince (them) 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.
95 - Harry Kane’s winner for Tottenham, timed at 94:25, was the latest winning goal scored against Manchester City in the Premier League since Michael Owen for Manchester United in September 2009 (95:27). Madness. pic.twitter.com/pbzwOdhpcF
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 19, 2022
"But I understand then that every single player has to make the best decision at the end of the season."
Kane suffered a knock to his back at Manchester City - where he put in a dazzling display, scoring two goals and having a hand in the other.
Kane's importance to the Spurs side is obvious, even without considering they have no back-up striker, and Conte tapped into his humour to make the point.
"He had a hit in his back but he has to play!" the Italian said. "If he has one leg he has to play.
"Harry knows very well the importance he has on the squad for his personality, for his experience. But he is good.
"I am joking, I don't force a player if he is injured to play. I only say that to tell you the importance of the player.
"He is good, he is ready."
