Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Martin Chivers has identified Harry Kane’s new-found strength as the key change that has led to his phenomenal rise to the top of English football.
Kane broke a 22-year-old record on Boxing Day as his hat-trick against Southampton saw him eclipse Alan Shearer for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year.
It was Kane’s second hat-trick in three days after his treble against Burnley, and it saw him reach 39 goals in the year, beating Shearer’s record of 36 set for Blackburn in 1995.
Tottenham legend Chivers, who scored 174 goals in his time at the club to lie third in their all-time list, spoke to the Daily Mail about Kane, and identified the key change that he thinks has helped him on his way to becoming a top player.
He said: “I’ve seen Harry mature over the last few years, more than anything in terms of his stature and physical build. If I had one criticism of him before, it was that he was a bit lightweight and didn’t hold the ball up as he does now. I was the same when I first came to Tottenham from Southampton in 1968, but as you train harder and do the right things you start to fill out and become stronger across the shoulders.
“As a striker, it means you can hold your ground and instead of getting knocked off the ball you find the defenders will start to bounce off you. Confidence helps, of course – it’s all about confidence, when the crowd is behind you and you are the man.
“If Harry stays at Tottenham and is lucky enough to avoid injury he will carry on scoring goals in this team. He will catch me – on 174 – for sure. To catch the great Jimmy Greaves on 266 goals is different. That target is a long way off but I don’t think Harry is too worried about that at the moment. He’s a smashing fella. None of this has gone to his head. His feet are on the ground. He must be a manager’s dream.”
OPINION
It is interesting that not many have spoken about Kane’s physical development over the last few years, and Chivers is spot on here. If you watch footage of Kane playing for Tottenham’s youth sides, his build was much more slight and he was easily knocked off the ball. Kane’s hard work in the gym has paid off an he now has the strength to hold off most defenders in the Premier League. Another factor is Kane’s increased pace. The 24-year-old is still not considered to be a quick player, but his improvements in that area are clear to see, and he doesn’t lose many footraces anymore.