Harry Kane says he will remember his penalty miss against France for the rest of his life — but insists it has made him even hungrier for success with Tottenham and England.
Kane scored twice as Spurs won 4-0 at Crystal Palace last night, ending a run of 10 straight matches in which they have conceded first.
It is less than a month since Kane blazed a spot-kick over the bar, as England crashed out of the World Cup with a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by the eventual runners-up and, in his first interview with a newspaper since the return of the season, he says that costly miss will not affect him as a player or person.
Kane told Standard Sport: “It was a tough moment for me. It’s never an easy thing to go through, but it’s part of football, part of the highs and lows of our sport. I had a bit of time away after, just to reflect, and it’s made me even more hungry to come back and be successful. So nights like last night are always good for me and the team, and it was much needed after the last couple of results as well.”
Kane also scored in his first game back after the World Cup, the 2-2 draw at Brentford on Boxing Day, and he added: “After it [the penalty miss] happened, I just wanted to play again as quick as possible and get it out of my head. It’s something you have to deal with. I’ll probably remember it for the rest of my life, but that’s part of the game. It’s not going to affect me as a player or as a person. I’ll keep working hard to improve and it was nice to get our first win since coming back.”
England manager Gareth Southgate was initially unsure if he would remain in the job following Qatar, but has since committed to staying in charge until after the next European Championship finals, in 2024.
“I’m really happy [he’s staying],” Kane said. “I feel like there’s some unfinished business there and he’s a fantastic coach. We’ve been close now on a few occasions. We looked strong in the tournament and it was small details that ended up not going our way. It will be nice to have another go at the Euros with the same team and staff.
“We hadn’t spoken [before Southgate’s decision to stay on]. We spoke after the France game and we had a day or so just to reflect, but it’s his decision. I didn’t want to put any pressure on him and he knows how much we enjoy playing under him.
“He’s been fantastic for me and a lot of other players. Business starts in March again and we’ll be ready.”
Kane’s brave header and trademark low finish put Spurs in control inside eight minutes of the second half last night to move him to within two goals of equalling Jimmy Greaves’s all-time scoring record for the club, ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Portsmouth and the north London derby on January 15.
“The derby would be a nice game [to break the record in], for sure, but I try not to think about records too much,” added Kane.
“It’s a really important game. Arsenal are top of the league and playing really well, so we’ll be ready for that. We’ve got to try to pick up some results ourselves and get some good momentum.”
Goals from Matt Doherty and Heung-min Son — only his fourth in the League this season and first since October 12 — sealed a morale-boosting win for Spurs.
“I’m really happy for Sonny,” Kane said. “He’s been working really hard behind the scenes and in every game, and sometimes as an attacking player you just need a bit of luck to go your way.
“Hopefully, that can give him loads of confidence now. He’s a really important player for us and we’re going to need him if we want to do anything important this season.”
Another positive was the display of 21-year-old winger Bryan Gil, who set up Kane’s second goal with a defence-splitting pass.
“I’m really happy for Bryan,” Kane added. “He’s waited patiently for his chance, worked really hard on the training pitch.
“I say to everyone, ‘just be ready for your opportunity’, and Bryan was there last night. He would have been a little bit disappointed after the last game, but he came out and showed his quality. I’m delighted for him and I’m sure he’ll be ready for the next one.”
