My haters are just my motivators, says Kane

Matt Stead

Harry Kane spoke of his delight after ending his goalscoring drought at Spurs, who he says have an exciting future ahead of them.

Kane scored the third goal in Spurs’ 4-1 win over Manchester City on Saturday, ending a run of eight consecutive club games without a goal.

The England international hopes that his first goal of the season will “shut up a few people” as he looks to build on a breakthrough campaign last season in which he scored 31 goals.

“Maybe I shut up a few people who have been talking over the last few weeks,” Kane said.

“Only seven games and a few people said ‘one-season wonder’. People can judge me at the end of the season and we will go from there. I have to stay focused but it is great to score.

“When you score like last season it becomes a drug, and when someone takes it away from you you want to get it back. You want to score again and it was a good feeling to score again.

“It is frustrating [to be criticised]. I kind of use it to get my juices flowing and to prove these people wrong. I have had to prove people wrong throughout my career to get where I am.

“It is not easy coming through as a youngster but it makes me want to get better and the more people say it, the more I want to prove them wrong.”

The victory moves Spurs up to fifth in the Premier League table, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side have not lost a league match since the opening day defeat at Manchester United.

Spurs fielded the youngest Premier League side of the season so far on Saturday, with Eric Dier and Dele Alli forming a particularly impressive midfielder partnership at just 21 and 19 respectively. As well as praising the duo, Kane spoke of his delight at the performance of club-record signing Erik Lamela, who provided a goal and an assist at White Hart Lane.

With Roy Hodgson in attendance on Saturday, Kane feels the England boss will have been impressed with the performances of Dier and Alli, while Tom Carroll, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Andros Townsend and Ryan Mason could all also feature in future national squads.

“It is rare [for so many Englishmen to be in one Premier League team] and it’s credit to the manager and the staff and the club itself in bringing the players through and not being afraid to play them,” said Kane.

“I’m sure the England boss is delighted to see it in the Premier League, and maybe give him a headache for his selection.

“[I’m also] very pleased for [Lamela]. He has taken some criticism over the last year or so. But this season he has proved what a year he could have. He works hard for the team up and down the pitch and I am delighted with the fact he scored.

“He probably knows that he’s playing well and that’s what it’s like, you’re looking forward to the next game, you want to be out there playing. Hopefully he can keep building the confidence and getting better and better.

“Last year, probably a lot of our players, it was their first year in the Premier League – like me, Dier, Lamela, it was his second season, Alli has come in.

“We’ve learned from last year. We’ll try and keep getting better and better and we can’t fade off now for the next few games. We’ll keep our foot on the pedal and try to win games.”