A troublesome promote lies forward for Tottenham as Kane talks edge nearer
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ottenham’s FA Cup tie at Preston in January was largely forgettable, notable primarily for being one among simply two matches this season Harry Kane has not began.
If Kane had extra alternative than normal to soak up his environment in Lancashire, he would have discovered a membership steeped within the legend of 1 man.
Deepdale lies on Sir Tom Finney Way and is dominated by the Sir Tom Finney Stand, which bears a likeness of the previous England ahead within the seats, and contains the Sir Tom Finney Lounge. A statue of Finney stands proudly exterior the outdated floor and all over the place you look there are nods to the participant who got here to embody his membership.
Harry Kane celebrates after scoring in opposition to Brighton & Hove Albion in April
/ Getty ImagesFinney performed in a dramatically completely different period to Kane, the place one-club males have been much more frequent, however his standing at Preston may nonetheless have struck a chord with the present England captain as he prepares for contract talks with Spurs on the finish of the season.
Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, said recently he hopes Kane will one day have a statue of his own exterior the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, suggesting the membership’s pitch to the striker can be, at the least partly, emotional: Stay right here, Harry, and turn out to be our Tom Finney.
Like Kane, Finney was essentially the most full English participant of his technology and his unwavering loyalty to his native group solely enhanced his legend, regardless of by no means successful silverware for membership or nation.
This summer season, Spurs could make the case to Kane that he might nonetheless win one thing with them however, extra considerably, obtain immortality by staying on the membership for all times.
It wouldn’t be the primary time Spurs have used the one-club angle to tug at Kane’s heartstrings and, way back to 2017, then-manager Mauricio Pochettino claimed the striker had been caught up within the emotion of Francesco Totti’s last sport for Roma and mentioned he hoped Kane may very well be their equal.
It is a compelling argument. Kane has nothing to show as a participant and, as he has bought older, he has begun to assume critically about his legacy within the sport.
England and Preston participant Tom Finney (left) outwitting Forest’s Geoff Thomas
/ PAFinney and Totti each received fewer trophies than their expertise deserved, however are God-like figures at their golf equipment; supermen whose legend is just enhanced by the worth of their loyalty.
Long-term, Kane’s enduring dedication may truly rely for extra within the courtroom of public opinion than successful a title or two with, say, Manchester City, neighbours United, Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, in addition to guaranteeing he’s perpetually the undisputed King at Spurs.
Kane, although, has at all times thought-about group trophies to be the final word legacy, and he can legitimately argue that he has already carried out sufficient for Spurs to deserve the statue and the immortality, no matter occurs over the following 13 months. He is Spurs’s all-time high scorer and best fashionable participant, and scratching his itch for silverware elsewhere shouldn’t be going to vary that.
Lionel Messi’s standing at Barcelona is undiminished by his transfer to PSG as a result of supporters understood that it was a results of their membership’s failings and, equally, Spurs followers wouldn’t begrudge Kane leaving in looking of trophies, given the disastrous administration of Levy and the board since 2019.
Kane didn’t play at Deepdale however can’t have missed the comparisons between himself and the good Sir Tom Finney
/ Getty ImagesCloser to dwelling, Teddy Sheringham remains to be thought-about a Spurs nice, regardless of beginning his profession at Millwall and leaving to win three League titles and the European Cup at United earlier than returning to White Hart Lane.
Kane has already carried out much more in a Spurs shirt than Sheringham and can most likely take pleasure in related longevity, elevating the chance he might at all times return to Spurs ought to he go away.
Playing on emotion and legacy will subsequently be a tough promote for Spurs in talks with Kane, and there may be each probability Levy goes to face a alternative over whether or not to money in on the 29-year-old this summer season or run the chance of him working down his contract and leaving for nothing on the finish of subsequent season.
Harry Kane celebrates after the EURO 2024 qualifying spherical between Italy and England in Naples.
/ Getty ImagesLevy hardly ever permits coronary heart to rule head, however promoting Kane can be an excessive amount of of a threat for a boss already beneath extreme stress from supporters, in addition to sending a poor message to a brand new supervisor concerning the membership’s ambitions.
It is a harmful technique, however Levy can be greatest served by playing on Spurs enhancing subsequent season to the extent that Kane decides to remain.
Finney’s profitable transfer to Palermo in 1952 was blocked by Preston’s proprietor, however he later insisted he had no regrets.
The query for Kane is whether or not he would really feel the identical if he, too, finishes his profession as a generational participant and one-club legend, however with out silverware.