Tottenham Hotspur: Kevin Phillips is confident Harry Kane can continue his fine form
Kevin Phillips has backed Tottenham star Harry Kane to pick up where he left off after he scored in the 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday night.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Sunderland forward believes scoring his 18th goal of the season will be a “massive relief” for Kane following a long lay-off.
Kane put the game beyond the Hammers after he broke clear to thump the ball past Lukasz Fabianksi. The England international was playing in his second game back in the wake of his return against Manchester United.
Phillips feels the goal will be a huge psychological boost for Kane as he had spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
He told football writer Dylan Childs “it is massive. Take it from a striker. If you are Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, whoever you are, to get that first goal after being out for so long is huge.
“You could see in the way he celebrated. The monkey is off his back and he can now get on and do what he does best in the Premier League.
“Harry has not helped himself because he is so eager to get involved all over the pitch and at times he is well out of position.
“Now that he has scored I think you will see him doing what he does best. That is getting on the end of through balls, playing on the last man and getting in behind. Massive relief for him and the club.”
It is difficult to disagree with Phillips on this one, as Kane was adamant he would come back better than ever before when the Premier League restarted.
The 26-year-old, who is Spurs’ leading goalscorer this season, will have been hoping to get off the mark early on to shake off any lingering signs of rustiness.
True to his word, it hasn’t taken him long to find the back of the net again, especially as he hadn’t played a competitive match since suffering a hamstring injury against Southampton on New Year’s Day.
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At the moment, Jose Mourinho’s side are seventh in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with seven games remaining.
Spurs struggled badly in Kane’s absence, as the Lilywhites only won three games in the Premier League while he worked on his recovery.
Fans will be hoping there is more to come in the remainder of the season as the team head into the closing stages of the competition.
Tottenham fans, can Harry Kane carry the club into the Champions League? Let us know down below!