Antonio Conte has stated that it was a “great choice” by Daniel Levy to keep Harry Kane at Tottenham amid talk of a big-money summer exit. Given talk of Conte replacing Jose Mourinho in the Tottenham hotseat back in June, the Italian was well aware of the situation involving the striker as he watched on from afar and he has hailed Levy’s decision to keep the frontman at the club.
Antonio Conte said: “In the summer I followed the situation about Harry and I saw what happened and what could happen. The club decided to keep Harry in the team and I think it was a great choice by the owner. In this way you are showing you want to try to continue to build something important around one of the best players in your team. I followed the situation but now it is not right to look at the past. Now we have to live in the present, which says that Harry is a player at Tottenham and continues to be one of the best players in this team. He wants to give 100 per cent in every game and I am totally satisfied with his commitment and the relationship that we have created within the team. He is a point of reference in the dressing room and an experienced player. I am totally enthusiastic about his involvement in the team and the Tottenham project.”
Only hitting one league goal for Tottenham prior to Conte’s appointment as head coach at the start of November, the striker has started to find the net more regularly in recent weeks after scoring three times either side of Christmas. Clearly not at his best in the opening couple of months of the campaign, Conte is pleased with what he has seen from Kane since taking on the hotseat.
Antonio Conte said: “First of all, we are talking about a really good person and a really good man. And I think this is the most important thing. Because I knew the situation in the summer and when Harry decided to stay in Tottenham I found a player totally involved in this project now. I am happy to have him in my team because for sure we are talking about the top player, a top striker in the world, and if we want to win or if we want to think to build something to win, Harry must be a point of start. It is normal this and he knows very well which is my opinion, but I repeat I’m very happy to work with him and I think that he has enjoyed the time, what we are building with the team and that is all.”
Kane has become one of the best players in the world since making his name in the Tottenham team but trophies have so far eluded him. Making it clear in the past that he wants to win team trophies on a regular basis, many have pointed to Tottenham’s need to win top prizes if the striker is to remain in north London. This season’s Carabao Cup represents a great chance for Tottenham to end their trophy hoodoo and Conte knows why it is so important for Kane to get his hands on silverware.
Antonio Conte said: “Yeah, I understand, I understand, Harry’s situation. Because for sure when you finish your career and it is good, and you can see your appearances and the team that wherever you played but at the same time, I think that it’s right also when you finish your career to see what you have won. And I think that this is important especially for players for top, top players. And because some time (it) happen that important and top players finish their career with a couple of titles. And instead other players who are medium or medium low finish their career with many titles. I think this is important, this is important. And we have to try to build a situation where we are all involved and to try to create a situation that we can be competitive to try to win. For sure, at the moment, I think there is an important gap with other teams that I see many, many teams more ready now to the win title at this moment. But we had to work and we had to try to improve in every aspects.”
