Souness slams ‘weak’ Kane, accuses him of ‘letting family down’ with ’embarrassing’ Spurs interview

Matt Stead
Graeme Souness, Robbie Keane and Jamie Redknapp

Harry Kane has been blasted by Graeme Souness for giving an exclusive interview to Sky Sports and not taking all of the blame for Spurs not being very good.

Kane spoke with Sky Sports before the game against Liverpool on Sunday, having helped inspire an important draw against Man Utd in midweek after trailing 2-0 at half-time.

The striker said that he and his teammates “came out fighting with desire and passion and a hunger to turn things around” in the second half in a comment which seemed to rile Souness.

“I’ll be as polite as I possibly can,” said the pundit before embarking on his rant.

READ MORE: Pochettino wants to make Kane his marquee signing at Chelsea as Tottenham ‘brace for huge bid’

“When you’re a professional football player, passion should be with you all the time. Desire should be with you all the time. It’s not a light switch, you can’t flick it on and off.

“Harry came across there as if he’d been media-trained, he knew what questions were coming and he knew how he was going to answer them, and maybe consulted someone in PR at Spurs.

“I know I’m a certain age and I know I’m from a different generation, but I find that so weak and… I played with players that, the most important thing in their lives, come Friday, was what was going to happen on the Saturday, and they went out there as if that was it – everything I do, everything I contribute to in life is on the next 90 minutes.

“These players today when they come on and they’re interviewed, they’re media-trained. The supporters don’t want to hear that. Passion and desire for 45 minutes against Man Utd? What about going back to the first game of the season in August? That’s when the passion and desire starts, and that’s when it’s with you throughout the season, and then at the end of the day if you’re a good player and a good team, you might win something.

“But you don’t consistently let down supporters like this Spurs group of players have. They’ve let down managers, they’ve let down supporters and ultimately themselves and their own families.

“I feel embarrassed for him and that comment, and I’m a big fan of Harry Kane’s. But I think they’re all media-trained up to the hilt now and for me I find that very frustrating.”

Asked what Kane could have said to Sky Sports which would have appeased Souness, the Scot replied: “I think he could have said that he’s disappointed in himself, I would have started with myself, ‘I’ve let myself down, I’ve let my family down, I’ve let everybody I work with down’…”

When Redknapp replied to say, “I don’t think he has, has he?” Souness simply said: “No, but you asked me what he could say, I think he still has to say that as the captain. I think the players at Spurs today, they’re a disgrace, bordering on being a disgrace.”

Hugo Lloris is, of course, Spurs captain. Not Kane.

“I’m not questioning Harry Kane,” Souness continued. “He’s a fabulous player. I’m questioning that interview he just gave. He’s been told the questions beforehand and he’s trotted out and he’s trying to get a message across of positivity, and that doesn’t work with me.”

Quite. Maybe stick to pretending Frank Lampard is a good appointment as Chelsea manager.

In later comments, Souness added: “I played with leaders. I tell you what happens, what leaders do: they dig you out. When it’s not going well, you’re misplacing passes, missing opportunities, they dig you out.

“Does Harry do that for Spurs or does Harry do that for Harry? I never, ever get fed up of saying this: you will not be successful at a football club unless you’ve got good senior pros.

“If he’s stick to the stomach, he doesn’t do that interview. It’s a different type of interview.”

Tottenham Hotspur Graeme Souness

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