On the morning of November 21, 2019, José Mourinho’s second day in charge at Tottenham Hotspur, he arranged his most important meeting. Harry Kane was already among the world’s best strikers and had become Tottenham’s leader under Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach sacked 48 hours earlier. His replacement recognised the significance of having Kane on side — indeed, Mourinho knew exactly which button to press.
“The world looks to English football with [its] incredible success,” he told Kane. “But they still think the movie stars of football belong to other places, and I think we have to build your status in that direction.
“My profile, I am a little bit [like] that as a coach. The reality is my dimension is universal and, by being with me, I think I can help you to POOOOF!”
Kane nodded, but outlined the lofty heights of his personal ambition. “I want [to reach the level of Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi,” he replied.
Eighteen months on and that target has been hit, at least in terms of personal statistics. Since Mourinho arrived, Tottenham’s win rate has fallen from 57 per cent to 43 per cent when Kane is absent. With him, they have one of Europe’s most deadly forwards, who has added multiple assists to his already outstanding goal record. The 29 he has scored so far in all competition this campaign has already matched his total last season but his tally of 16 assists is more than double the previous best of seven in 2016-17.
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Kane has always had qualities beyond scoring, playing off Roberto Soldado or Emmanuel Adebayor in his breakthrough year in 2014, Pochettino’s first at Tottenham. When Soldado and Adebayor left the following summer, vacating the No 9 and No 10 jerseys, Kane opted for the latter. To Kane, the man wearing No 10 was known not only for scoring goals but his all-round ability.
Kane’s continued ascent this season has not been reflected in the team’s fortunes, though, as Tottenham’s only possible trophy is the Carabao Cup, with a final against Manchester City at Wembley in a fortnight. Spurs crashed out of the Europa League at the round-of-16 stage, the FA Cup in the fifth round, and are now one of six teams competing for two places in the top four with eight games to go. By the time the Premier League resumes next season, Kane will be 28 and well aware that his trophy cabinet does not reflect his personal ability.
This summer is set to be a defining one for England’s captain. As well as the European Championship finals, he is likely to have to make a decision on his future. Tottenham have typically offered him an improved deal every 18 months to two years to reflect his performances, but the impact of Covid-19 has put that back. Sign a new deal and Kane is likely to finish his career in north London, but there appear to be options elsewhere.
Tomorrow Tottenham will line up against Manchester United, a club that have been a top striker away from seriously contending for trophies this season, and where Kane has big admirers on the board. Their neighbours, Manchester City, may be targeting Erling Haaland but Kane is considered a perfect back-up option. Real Madrid are also interested.
Kane is not the kind of character to cause a stir but he has publicly stated that he will not remain at Tottenham for sentimental reasons. “We’ll see how we get on next season,” he told Jamie Redknapp in March last year. “You know me, I want to win team trophies. I get asked the question a lot [about spending his whole career at Spurs]. I could not say yes, I could not say no. I love Spurs [but] I have always said that if I don’t feel we are progressing, I am not someone to stay there for the sake of it.”
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A year on, little progress has been made. The Carabao Cup is not the silverware Kane wants to win, but there is a possibility that leading England to a first trophy in 55 years this summer may fill the void. For Kane, it would eclipse any club trophy. If he does decide to leave Tottenham this summer then an exit is not necessarily going to be easy. A contract until 2024, when Kane turns 31, will give Mourinho and Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, confidence that they can keep him.
Some players are said to be unhappy with Mourinho but Kane is not believed to be one of them. For Mourinho, Kane represents the perfect player: one of the world’s best footballers and one with an old-school mentality. He resembles the characters Mourinho had at Chelsea in John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba: willing to do whatever the manager asks.
That first meeting between Mourinho and Kane was caught by the cameras but it is a scene we have seen before. In 2004 Mourinho stopped Lampard, then aged 25, coming out of the showers during his first pre-season with Chelsea. “You are the best player in the world,” Mourinho said, repeating it forcefully. Lampard was not, but a year later he lifted the first two of six trophies in three seasons with Mourinho and came second in the Ballon d’Or.
Mourinho has, rightly, been credited for getting the best out of Kane but it was Gareth Southgate, the England manager, who first deployed the striker deeper. In October 2019, the month before Mourinho’s appointment, Kane set up three goals in Bulgaria to take his total contribution to nine goals and six assists in ten games.
Mourinho has unleashed that version of Kane at Spurs. He has helped Kane to do what he said he would. Tottenham’s second-highest scorer of all time now has the numbers of an elite striker but wants trophies as he enters the peak years of his career. The fear is that this summer may spell the end. POOOOF, and Kane will be gone.
