Harry Kane put on an impressive display, scoring four goals to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a resounding 5-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in a pre-season friendly match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday.
Despite the ongoing speculation surrounding his future, Kane showed no signs of distraction and demonstrated his scoring prowess throughout the game.
The England captain's contract with Spurs has entered its final 12 months, leading to intense interest from Bayern Munich, who have reportedly made a strong bid for the forward. However, Tottenham has held firm in the pre-season transfer window, keeping Kane at the club for now.
In his first match under new manager Ange Postecoglou, Kane showcased his skills and scored a hat-trick within 55 minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Australian boss received a warm welcome from the Spurs fans, and the excitement reached a crescendo when it was announced that Kane would captain the team in the absence of Hugo Lloris.
Kane, who is Tottenham's all-time leading scorer, began his goal spree by converting a penalty in the 38th minute after James Maddison was fouled in the area. The performance demonstrated Kane's commitment to the team despite the ongoing transfer speculation, leaving fans hopeful for a successful season ahead.
The Ukrainian visitors equalised on the brink of half-time through Kevin Kelsy's close-range header.
But Kane was soon back on the goal trail when he headed in a cross from fellow England international Maddison in the 50th minute.
He completed his treble five minutes later when Son Heung-Min found Dejan Kulusevski, who slipped the ball between Mykola Matviyenko's legs, with Kane shooting powerfully into the bottom corner.
Lifelong Spurs fan Kane had already heard several renditions of "he's one of our own" before his hat-trick but a section of the crowd chanted "we want you to stay" after his third goal".
Kane completed his haul for the day when he followed up from close range in the 79th minute after substitute Manor Solomon's curled shot was saved.
Postecoglou replaced the Tottenham talisman a minute later and Kane left the pitch to a standing ovation before responding with applause to all four corners of the ground.
Spurs academy graduate Dane Scarlett came on for Kane and scored with the last kick of the game.
The full-time whistle followed and Kane walked over on his own to each side of the stadium to clap the fans, with Tottenham supporters desperately hoping this low-key affair was not his last game for the club.
(With AFP inputs)
