Ankle injuries a result of bad luck and not joint weakness – Kane

Tottenham striker Harry Kane insists his string of ankle injuries have been down to bad luck and not because a weakness in his joint.

Kane has declared himself fit for the Champions League final on Saturday after a fifth significant ligament problem in three years.

The latest came in the quarter-final first leg against Manchester City – which would have ended his campaign had Spurs not made the final – and saw leading ankle specialists recommend surgery to strengthen his joint.

The England captain believes the injuries he has suffered would have happened to anyone and he is not more susceptible because of his previous history.

“For me, the most risk of it is when you’re shooting and your landing foot when you’re coming down from a shot, defenders are sliding in or keepers are coming out so that’s when you’re most susceptible to it,” Kane said.

“Talking to the physios about it, the last injury especially with the way I slipped when the tackle came in, if that happens to any other player, most are getting injured anyway.”

“It’s not like I’m just running and rolling. In that case I’d feel like I’d need to do something about it.

“So far, every time I’ve come back I’ve felt strong. Hopefully I can be a bit more lucky and it won’t happen again.”

Kane has an impressive recovery rate, always returning ahead of schedule, but his rehabilitation this time has been helped by the three-week gap between the end of the Premier League season and Saturday’s showpiece in Madrid.

He insists that this has not been a rush job and he is fully fit for the Champions League final and the two games for England in the Nations League next week.

“This one, we’ve had a bit more time,” he added.

“From when it happened, we weren’t in the Champions League final at the time, but it was, ‘OK, let’s prepare for if we do get to the Champions League’.

“The end of the (Premier League) season was going to be too soon to come back and we knew there was a three-week gap after that to give it more time.

“We didn’t do things as quick, took a bit of extra time before we went outside, just to let it heal a bit more, and since then most of things have been the same.

“The ankle feels good now, it feels strong. The tackle that made it get injured again probably would have injured it even if it was 100 per cent.

“For me, it’s three games, the game on Saturday and then the England games, I’m ready and fully fit for.

“Again in the off season to really kind of work on rehab and strengthen it as much as possible.

“Like anything in football, an injury, sometimes you can be unlucky and if I get another tackle like I did the other day I’ll probably get injured again. But that’s just part of football.

“It’s about doing the best I can and what will be will be.”

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino celebrated five years in charge on Monday and Kane paid tribute to the man who has transformed the club into a major European force.

“He’s been massive,” the striker said. “Since he took over he’s had a plan to become one of the best teams in Europe and now we’re not far away from the biggest game in Europe and in our club’s history.

“He’s done a fantastic job, he’s a great manager. All the players want to fight and play and do everything for him.

“That’s the standards he’s set, you see the way the club is now, the training ground, the stadium, playing in Champions League finals, that was the plan and now it’s to win it, and step on and to go on to win more and more. It starts on Saturday.”