Sport

Kane exit was never likely: Pochettino

MAURICIO Pochettino insists Tottenham have never considered letting in-form striker Harry Kane leave the club. Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock claimed on Thursday that he tried to sign Kane (left) on loan before the start of the campaign but that Spurs were keen to keep the striker for their Europa League fixtures.

Kane has scored 11 goals in all competitions for Spurs this season and his impressive performances have seen him start all of Tottenham's last four Barclays Premier League matches. "It is the first time I have heard this information," Pochettino said in response to Warnock's comments. "I have never known it was possible. Our first idea was to keep Harry Kane and give him chances to play. "My idea was to keep Harry because we believe in him and his potential to play for Tottenham. "He has since shown we were right in our decision to keep him."

Kane is one of a handful of home-grown players to have been given a chance under Pochettino, with Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb also enjoying the faith of the new head coach.

Pochettino believes Kane's affiliation with the club is a valuable asset to the team. "At the moment Harry is not feeling any pressure," Pochettino added. "It is important that he is a player who feels the club, he came through the academy and he knows our values. "He shows passion and is in very good condition - he is a very important player for us."

Kane's rise to prominence casts more uncertainty over the future of Emmanuel Adebayor.

However, Pochettino claims he enjoys a healthy relationship with the Togo forward, who has been out with a back injury and a virus. "My relationship with Emmanuel is very good, I was a player and I understand my players," he said.