KANE IS SHEAR TO STAY
Harry wants to be at Spurs ‘for life’ and can pass Toon legend’s goals record on the way
QUITE what someone such as Alan Shearer makes of the handshake and sign language routine is anybody’s guess. When you spent your career perfecting the good old raised-arm salute (right), the mind can only boggle at Harry Kane’s choreographed fingerwork. No wonder, though, that Kane and Dele Alli have their celebration synchronised to perfection. They know it will be called on time and time again. And eventually, fitness permitting, Kane might even have to work out a special number to mark the passing of Shearer’s Premier League record. That target, of 260, is a ball-sized speck on the horizon for now and plenty have been on an early schedule to top Shearer’s tally, only for injury or a transfer to intervene. Only a couple of months older than Kane, Romelu Lukaku has 10 Premier League goals more. Yet when Kane, not 24 until July, intimates he will be at Tottenham for life, you believe him. If he stays fit, he will score a couple of dozen a season, no doubt. He has 68 Premier League goals to his name already. The wispy similarities with Shearer grow a little stronger with each scoring performance. There was a reason Gareth Barry could not close him down and why the dive of Joel Robles was a late irrelevance. Kane surprised both with how quickly he unloaded the shot from 20 or so yards. He has also developed a reliability that has something of a mental hold over goalkeepers. His knack is in their minds. After Robles, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ashley Williams combined calamitously to allow Alli to slip in Kane, there appeared only one possible outcome and his 19th league goal of the season was duly despatched. While this was another vibrant all-round performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s side, there remains a lumpy reliance on Kane. Lukaku carries a similarly onerous burden, one that again failed to anchor him as he left Jan Vertonghen on the seat of pants by which he had been previously flying, and gave Everton late impetus with a textbook finish. Alli’s ingenious, delicate diversion of Harry Winks’ smartly-conceived freekick looked to have killed that but Enner Valencia’s imitation from Ross Barkley’s setpiece gave Ronald Koeman a few hopeful, closing moments. An equaliser would have been a serious injustice. Everton were as unadventurous as Tottenham were adventurous and were simply half a yard slower than a team that is supremely drilled. This was a reality check for Tom Davies and a reminder for
Leighton Baines and Gareth Barry that time waits for no stalwart. The goalkeeping position might also be one Koeman examines in the summer. He will still be here as Barcelona will not be calling if they were scrutinising this. They might take another look at Pochettino. That is now nine consecutive league wins at White Hart Lane, no wonder the flock pointing their smart phones at the adjoining, ever-growing concrete monster probably do so with a mixture of awe and trepidation. There is a buzz about this condemned stadium that looks certain to carry Spurs back to the Champions League. This was a showing far more classy than those we saw from Arsenal or Manchester United this weekend. Spearheading it was Kane, withdrawn late on to a standing, thunderous ovation and then speaking sensibly and undramatically about how Spurs need to approach the season’s finale. That is the irony about his street-cool celebration with Alli. Kane always comes across as a 23-year-old fogey, a wise head on young shoulders – just as Shearer was, by the way, but maybe go easy on any comparisons with anyone. Harry Kane is not just one of their own, he could eventually be one on his own.