Everyone wants a piece of Harry Kane after a terrific first full season in the Premier League with Spurs...
ALSO ON FFT.COM
What more is there to say about Harry Kane? FourFourTwo’s current cover star has had an incredible season; he’s finally secured regular first-team football, breached the 30-goal barrier, made his senior England debut, been picked in the PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year, been named as PFA Young Player of the Year and now, best of all, is Stats Zone’s Young Player of the Year.
However, the striker had to bide his time – he didn’t start a Premier League match until November 9 against Stoke, but his real breakthrough came a week before at Aston Villa.
With Spurs a goal down and labouring, Kane was thrown on to replace the struggling Emmanuel Adebayor. In 58 minutes on the pitch, the Togolese striker had mustered 2 tame shots and completed 20 passes, only 11 of which were in the attacking third.
In his 32 minutes, Kane may have only managed to complete 8 passes, but he did manage 2 far more purposeful shots on target – one of which found the back of the net in the 89th minute (via a healthy deflection, it must be said), winning Spurs three points. Put simply, he was far more effective.
If the away game at Villa Park was where Kane kick-started his season, the home match against Chelsea on New Year’s Day was when he established himself as a real Premier League star. Kane was in devastating form as Spurs romped to a surprisingly emphatic 5-3 victory over their London rivals. The Chingford-born hitman not only scored twice – from the only 2 shots he attempted all match – but he also provided an assist for winger Nacer Chadli (the second of 4 he provided over the course of the Premier League season).
For a few months, Kane was the hottest forward in the land. By the time he’d scored twice against Arsenal on February 7, he was on a run of 11 goals in 14 matches; a few days later he made it 12 in 15 at Anfield.
That form made him a marked man, as he explained to FFT: “Defenders are getting quite a bit tighter on me now, and maybe there’s a defensive midfielder screening in front of me too.”
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IN THE MAG
That – as well as Christian Eriksen’s dip in form – may explain why his goal rush slowed towards the end of the season. This was particularly harmful to Spurs as Kane’s goals have been worth no fewer than 24 points to his club – more than double those of Sergio Aguero’s 26 strikes for Manchester City. Matching this season’s achievements in 2015/16 will be no mean feat, but Kane can afford to look back on the campaign just gone as a job very well done.
