Ledley King has rubbished suggestions that Harry Kane has to leave Tottenham in order to maximise his own career achievements, insisting that it would mean a lot more for the striker to win one or two trophies at Spurs than more at another club.
The speculation over Harry Kane‘s future shows no signs of slowing down as we head closer to the summer transfer window, with the striker now having just a year left on his contract at Tottenham.
Reports indicate that he is Manchester United‘s top priority this summer, with Erik Ten Hag’s men said to believe that the 29-year-old could catapult them into a title challenge next season (Football Insider).
Some pundits such as Craig Burley have even suggested recently that the England captain is showing a lack of ambition by staying at Spurs as the Lilywhites are a long way away from challenging for major honours (ESPN FC).
However, King, who was a one-club man himself, has insisted that Kane will have had a successful career irrespective of how many medals he has when he hangs up his boots.
When asked if the England star has to leave Tottenham this summer to win trophies for the sake of his legacy, the former Spurs captain said on Kammy and Ben’s Proper Football Podcast (as relayed by Football.London): “No, I’ve never been one who’s kind of really believed in that, because there’s always a lot of pressure from the outside, telling you what you have to do.
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“Harry is scoring goals. He’s probably going to break the Premier League record at the club. He’s already one of the best strikers in the world.
“For me, I always said it felt more to win one or two at my club than to go elsewhere and win three or four. Obviously, everyone is different.
“I understand there’s going to be more pressure on Harry. That’s a different expectation, different pressure to leave. But, I don’t buy the kind of feeling that you have to leave.
“I think that everyone’s career is their career. And, however they feel about it, there’s no doubt that Harry has got the maximum out of his career as an individual.
“And I always think when you start the game as a young kid, your aim is to get the maximum out of your career and Harry’s done that.
“So, regardless of whatever happens, he can always look in the mirror when his career is done. No one can say that you didn’t win anything. It’s not an individual game. Has he maximized his career? Has he been the best in his position? He’s done that.”
When asked if it is important for the Lilywhites to hang on to their talisman, King responded: “Of course, it’s always important to hang on to your best players and…Harry’s been an integral part of the team, the football club for years. But, we know the game. You know, it’s very difficult.
“He’s got one year left. Of course, we want to hang on to him. I believe that he’ll still be there next season. And can we bring in the right people around him to make him think that he still is in the right place for him and his career to still get the best out of himself.”
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If Kane had the chance to move to a club like Manchester City, there is no doubt that he would be tempted to do that as not only would he score over 40 goals a season at the Etihad but he would also win multiple league titles.
However, a move to Man Utd certainly does not offer the same sort of guarantee to the striker.
It is quite conceivable that the Red Devils could find themselves out of the top four again next season and they themselves are in need of a major rebuild, given the number of players they have who are over 30.
So, the England captain might perhaps be tempted to stick around at Tottenham if the North London club’s hierarchy can convince him of their ambition.
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