Tottenham’s chances of playing in next season’s Europa League were boosted on Sunday as the North London club beat Newcastle 3-1 at St James’ Park.
Harry Kane’s late strike secured the three points for Mauricio Pochettino’s men and also chalked up 30 goals for the season for the 21-year-old forward.
It has been an amazing 12 months for the homegrown Spurs hero, who has propelled himself from a fringe figure at White Hart Lane to one of the Premier League’s most feared strikers.
Kane is now in the running to finish as the division’s top scorer, with the forward locked on 20 strikes alongside Sergio Aguero.
Meanwhile there a real case for Kane to be the winner of the PFA Player of the Year accolade, especially given that his rise to prominence has been so significant.
In netting 30 goals, Kane has become the first Tottenham player to reach this landmark since Gary Lineker in 1991-92.
A number of top-class centre forwards have stepped out for the North London side since then but have failed to reach Kane’s tally for a single campaign.
The likes of Teddy Sheringham, Jurgen Klinsmann, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor have all failed to equal Lineker’s 30-goal tally, making Kane’s achievement all the more spectacular.
Twelve months ago Kane was being viewed by Spurs as a back-up option in the first team, with a train of thought that the youngster could even be farmed out on loan for the campaign.
Initially only given a chance to shine in the cup competitions, the English star’s predatory nature was almost immediately evident, with Kane making it impossible for Pochettino not to include him in the Premier League.
A number of performances stick in the memory, with the talismanic forward inspiring his team to notable victories over both Chelsea and Arsenal at home.
Kane has rightly been rewarded with a call-up to the senior England squad, with the Spurs man netting his first international goal within minutes of his debut.
The striker’s performances are even more extraordinary given that Spurs were would be completely lost without a player that was nothing more than a back-up at the start of the season.
Kane has shown incredible maturity to carry the brunt of goalscoring responsibility, while he was also made captain for a clash this year.
For Spurs, any realistic challenge for top-four football in the future will be intrinsically linked with Kane’s goals, but the North London club must be careful in how they use their main man.
The 21-year-old has a lot to learn in the game still and needs to develop further – placing too much responsibility and expectation on the attacker could be extremely counterproductive.
Signing a striker that can consistently contribute to the team’s goalscoring efforts alongside Kane is essential this summer for Pochettino, as signs in recent weeks show that the current incumbent needs assistance and added support.
For Tottenham, Kane’s emergence is a rare bright point in an otherwise underwhelming campaign, with his 30 goals a celebration of a homegrown hero to outdo Sheringham, Klinsmann and other great Spurs forwards of yesteryear.
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