A former Tottenham striker has defended the England captain in the aftermath of a surprising entry over his future in north London.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane should not be criticised for being”honest” after admitting that he could leave the club so as to match his private ambitions, according to Gary Lineker.
Kane came through the ranks with Spurs, helping them to compete for a regular position in the Premier League’s top four and get to the Champions League closing over the course of his seven years at the senior squad.
The 26-year-old has hit 181 goals in 278 games, establishing himself as one of the deadliest centre-forwards in European soccer.
He hasn’t managed to inspire Tottenham to some tangible success in the shape of trophies, however, with it indicated that he might need to move onto pastures new so as to receive his hands on important silverware.
In a Q&A with former midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Instagram earlier this week, Kane insisted that he would not be scared to leave Spurs if a time comes when he no longer feels that they are”moving in the right direction”.
Lineker has clarified the England global’s transfer stance as”comprehensible” while expressing his view that Jose Mourinho’s side are a ways off hard for the Premier League title right now.
“It is clear,” the former Tottenham striker told talkSPORT. “He is a top-class player, he is one of the amazing strikers in world football and there is bound to be a level of frustration with the recent advancement at Spurs.
“It’s not straightforward. We have seen it with Arsenal that if you build a new floor it can slow down your development and that is possibly occurring with Tottenham.
“He is just being really honest, is not he? He is saying that if they do not go on to win things… because every player wants to win things in their own career. I didn’t win too much myself.
“However, it would be unthinkable for a player of Harry Kane’s prestige if he did not win anything in his whole career.
“You can not criticise him too much for getting that opinion. He’s been in the club for quite a long time and he has been brilliant.
“And he might well remain there, they may possibly develop, but you would say they are four or five players short of certainly hard for the title.”
Manchester United have been mooted as a potential next destination for Kane, and Real Madrid are weighing up a summer bidding as Zinedine Zidane intends to bolster his attacking positions at Santiago Bernabeu.
Lineker believes Barcelona could also make decent use of the Tottenham frontman, who might be tempted by the chance to take on a new challenge in a different major European league.
“I don’t think he will be short of options,” added Lineker when asked where Kane could wind up if he leaves Spurs. “Maybe overseas, but it is dependent on him though.
“There are a whole lot of players who feel somewhat uncomfortable about going overseas. When I played for Barcelona, numerous players in those days used to go overseas, quite a few went to Italy, and normally, those that had been successful wanted to go there for the entire experience, and those which weren’t so successful maybe just went to get a few quid.
“So you will need to be the sort of person who wants to experience another country’s culture, etc.. He wants to weigh up it. There are clearly clubs in England that would have him.
“You look at Manchester City with Sergio Aguero, who’s 32 now, and Manchester United desperately require a centre-forward.
“But then you look at Barcelona. Luis Suarez’s legs are moving just a little bit so they might be trying to find a centre-forward, who knows.
“At Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is no spring chicken anymore. There’ll be one or two of the giants of world football that will be searching for a striker.
“Strikers are the main thing in the game!”
