‘Kane is like Maradona’ – Ginola
Harry Kane has been compared to Argentina legend Diego Maradona by David Ginola, who lauded the striker’s transformation into Tottenham’s “new playmaker”.
Kane played the full 90 minutes of Spurs’ 5-1 home win against Newcastle on Sunday, which saw Antonio Conte’s side move into the top four.
The 28-year-old wasn’t among the scorers but registered his sixth Premier League assist of the season to cap a superb all-round performance and was singled out for special praise by Ginola after the game.
What has been said?
The former Tottenham midfielder sees similarities between Kane and Argentina great Maradona, who was also known for dropping deep to produce defence-splitting passes.
“It [the win over Newcastle] was very impressive,” Ginola told Sky Sports. “Spurs looked so strong, especially in the second half. They looked confident, they are playing their game.
“They rely on their best assets in the middle of the park, their passing is brilliant and their finishing is amazing.
“The new playmaker at Spurs is Harry Kane. He’s like Maradona now, playing in the middle of the park, long balls, short balls, scoring, assisting – wow. [It’s] the new Harry Kane.”
Conte hails Kane
Ben Davies, Matt Doherty, Son Heung-min, Emerson Royal and Steven Bergwijn all got on the scoresheet against Newcastle, while Kane was unable to add to his haul of 22 goals in all competitions.
Conte was still hugely pleased with the England international’s contribution, and says he provides a shining example of professionalism for his team-mates to follow.
“His performance was amazing. I said to him at the end of the game that it was a shame he did not score,” said the Italian manager. “To have this type of player in your team makes you strong.
“It is important for his team-mates to know Kane is in our team. We know he can score and create. First of all I like the person. We are talking about a talented player.
“Many times players with great talent do not want to work hard. Not that they want to work less but sometimes they can be lazy. He was an example from the first day I arrived here.”