Tottenham Hotspur super striker Harry Kane believes that the pursuit of trophies means much more to him than personal glory. The England international grabbed his 100th Spurs goal during the weekend, leading his side to a 3-0 win at the Goodison Park against a heavy-spending Everton.
The focus now will be on Champions League as the Spurs stars get ready to entertain Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Wednesday to kickstart their 2017-18 Champions League campaign.
It is going to be a very difficult group for the Lilywhites – the ‘group of death’ you could say – which also comprises of double defending Champions Real Madrid. The only seemingly easier fixture is against Cyprian outfit APOEL FC.
Kane believes that Spurs are ready to test themselves against the best in the continent as they chase their first piece of silverware under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino.
The England international knows that he is the one to lead their European charge and is ready to take the additional burden.
“All these individual records are good but the most important thing for me is to try to win club trophies; Premier Leagues, FA Cups,” he said, as quoted by Evening Standard. “I have to help the team to do that.”
Spurs should learn lessons from their disappointing campaign last year as they struggled at Wembley. As the club’s new stadium gets constructed, Spurs have to play at Wembley throughout this season and overcome the ‘Wembley curse’.
Tottenham have won just twice in 12 matches at the national stadium and need to improve their performances to have any chance against Real and Dortmund – two of the biggest teams in Europe. And Kane believes that Spurs will be extra motivated going up against such big sides. He said:
“We’ve got to learn from last year’s campaign. I think the fact we’re playing teams like Madrid and Dortmund will help us because it will be a big motivation to try to beat those teams.
“We’ve got to test ourselves against the best if we want to be one of the top teams in Europe. You’ve got to see where you are, and all the lads are looking forward to it.
“Are we at that level now? I think we have to prove it. We’re not there yet. We didn’t do great in the Champions League last year so if we can get through this group I think it will be a big statement for the club, considering Real Madrid and Dortmund are two of the biggest teams in Europe.
“That’s got to be our main aim – just try to get through the group, try to do better then last year and then go from there.”
One thing which will work to Spurs’ advantage is the electric atmosphere at Wembley. The players can expect great support – one that a Champions League night deserves.
Kane knows very well that being second best in England is not going to be a barometer of their success. They need to start competing for trophies and being in the hunt for Premier League will surely help. However, they also need to show that they can compete against the best in Europe.
So, what can we expect from our side this year? It would be very difficult for Tottenham to progress through the group. However, we can be competitive against Dortmund and Real, if Kane can find his scoring boots at Wembley.
