Uli Hoeness thinks Harry Kane would make Bayern Munich go “gaga,” but the Bundesliga champions are still interested in signing the England captain.
Discussions about Kane’s future have been sparked by Tottenham’s failure to win any trophies this season.
Bayern is one of the very few teams that seems capable of bringing in a player of that calibre, paying the transfer fee and wages while also guaranteeing the striker the chance to finally bring home a trophy.
But honorary president Hoeness has suggested the idea of splashing out on Kane would be “completely gaga”.
Hoeness appeared to make a similar suggestion in an interview with Sky Sports, though he also discussed how Bayern could still make a bid for Kane.
“It doesn’t go over my desk,” Hoeness said. “I’m one of nine members of the supervisory board who have a say in the executive committee when it comes to large expenses of over €25million.
“I’ve expressed my personal private opinion here. I can imagine that the day is coming a player would go to Bayern and can cost around €100million, but I gave my opinion specifically on the Kane case.
“He’s almost 30 years old and last year Tottenham rejected Manchester City’s €160million offer.”
Asked what role he might have in any discussions around Kane, Hoeness replied: “I would give my private opinion.
“I’m one of nine, and if the other eight say he’s going to be bought, then he’s going to be bought. That’s how it is in a democracy.”
In the event that Antonio Conte’s team is eliminated from the Champions League, Manchester United reportedly believes they can lure Harry Kane away from Tottenham.
The prolific England captain, 30, is highly desired by the Red Devils, who are in the market for a star No9.
While United reportedly expects Spurs to lower their £100 million asking price if they do not place in the top four, The Sun reports that the North Londoners are frantically trying not to sell.
Tottenham would run the risk of losing their talisman for nothing if they allowed Kane to complete the remaining 12 months of his contract because his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season.
Conte’s side currently sit in the final Champions League spot but are coming under pressure from Liverpool, who hammered United 7-0 to continue their recent revival on Sunday.
That Anfield humiliation has highlighted the need for improvement at Old Trafford and spending is expected — especially if the Glazer family decide to sell the club.
Saliba has answered all Arsenal’s doubts – Arteta
Kane has 18 league goals this season — the ninth campaign in a row he has hit double figures in the top flight — and would offer a superstar option alongside Marcus Rashford, who is in the form of his life.
He was strongly tipped to move to Manchester City last summer and may see this as his final chance to make a career-defining move as he looks to break his trophy duck.
Napoli sensationVictor Osimhen is another United target but there will be aqueue of clubs fighting for the 24-year-old’s signature.
According to former Red Devils full-back Gary Neville, Harry Kane should transfer from Tottenham to Manchester United if he wants to win trophies in his career.
Although being frequently linked with moves away over the years, including most notably in 2021 when he appeared to be pushing for a move to Manchester City before deciding to stay in North London, England captain Kane has spent his whole career with Tottenham.
The 29-year-old is having another another excellent season with Spurs, who were eliminated from the FA Cup on Wednesday by Sheffield United. He has scored 18 goals in 25 Premier League appearances.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Neville suggested Kane could look to move on at the end of the campaign and believes his former club are a realistic destination for the striker.
He said: ” Kane is going to want to win trophies, I think.
“It’s whether he sees it as being a case whereby he commits to Tottenham for his last five years and he does what some players have done.
“But if Harry is going to leave, I think now is the moment.
“He is a wonderful player, he’s a great professional, and I think if Kane could leave now, and you could get him an exit out of there to a club in Manchester probably, United or City, I think he would take that opportunity.
“It’s more than likely not going to be City because of their [Erling] Haaland expenditure and what they’ve done with him, but Manchester United are desperate for a centre forward.
“Chelsea, I can’t see him going there. He’s quite loyal to Tottenham and there’s a big rivalry with Chelsea, so I don’t see that happening, even though they do need a centre forward.
“He’s not going to go to Arsenal, because of the rivalry, so Manchester United is the only option in England for Kane this summer.
“Bayern Munich have been mentioned. That could happen and I think Daniel Levy would be happier if he was to go internationally, so we could see that.
“But I think Harry, if he wants to win trophies, is going to have to leave Tottenham, because Tottenham do struggle with that aspect.”
Neville also queried the idea of United signing Declan Rice, who was a part of the West Ham team that lost 3-1 to the Red Devils in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday.
Neville added: “Obviously, Declan knows the position, but when I look at world-class holding midfielders, and players of that type, because Rice doesn’t score or assist enough goals, so you’re putting him into that category of more of a destroyer.
“You’ve then got to be someone who I think is highly competent on the ball and linking play, and having that knowledge of the subtleties of getting on the ball from the back four.
“I personally feel, at this moment in time, that Declan needs to go and work under a different set-up, he needs to drive forward in his career, he needs to go and play at a different club.
“But for me, I wouldn’t be spending £110million or £120m on Rice if I was Manchester United this summer.
“I would spend £50m-60m on him but I wouldn’t spend the figures being reported because I still feel like he’s got a lot of growth.”
The Tottenham assassin has been terrorising top-flight defences since his breakthrough season in 2014-15.
But despite maintaining an incredible strike rate and winning three Golden Boots, he still has a way to go to topple the current leader in the rankings, Alan Shearer.
Read on as we run through the Premier League’s five greatest goalscorers.
5. Sergio Aguero (184 goals)
Sergio Aguero will forever be a legend in the blue half of Manchester after he scored one of the most iconic goals in English footballing history against QPR to seal the title on a dramatic final day in 2012.
Before heading to Barcelona, where a heart condition unfortunately forced an early retirement, Aguero managed 184 strikes in just 275 Premier League matches.
The Argentine won five league titles during his time at the Etihad and became City’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The diminutive forward holds the Premier League record for most hat-tricks, having netted 12, and is the only foreign player on this esteemed list.
Sergio Aguero will always be a legend in one half of Manchester
4. Andy Cole (187 goals)
Andy Cole was no stranger to a bit of club-hopping and enjoyed goal-laden spells at the majority of his seven Premier League clubs.
In fact, if the ex-Manchester United and Newcastle hitman had been a regular penalty taker, he may even have snuck to the top of the pile.
Cole racked up 187 strikes across 414 top-flight appearances with the majority coming as he won five titles in eight seasons with the Red Devils.
Andy Cole was one of the most lethal finishers in Premier League history
3. Harry Kane (198 goals)
Kane has been the focal point of Tottenham’s attack for most of the last decade and has scored at least 15 goals in each of the last nine seasons.
But despite his exploits in the penalty area, he has not been able to lift any silverware with Spurs and is being linked with an exit.
Also his country’s joint-top scorer with 53 strikes, the No10 will surely move up this list unless he is tempted abroad.
2. Wayne Rooney (208 goals)
Wayne Rooney’s haul features some spectacular strikes, including this acrobatic Manchester derby effort
Wayne Rooney surpassed the great Bobby Charlton as United and England’s all-time leading goalscorer, although Kane is one away from eclipsing him for the Three Lions.
Across 491 appearances, the Old Trafford legend racked up 208 goals and 103 assists for Everton and the Red Devils.
A five-time Premier League champion, Rooney enjoyed a glittering career but is some way short of the leading marksman on this list.
1. Alan Shearer (260 goals)
Alan Shearer was arguably the best goalscorer of his generation
You cannot mention Premier League goalscorers without bringing up the great Shearer.
A huge 52 strikes clear of the next name on the list, the English striker’s record will take some beating.
Scoring 260 times in 441 games over 14 seasons with Blackburn and Newcastle, it is a minor miracle that the No9 won just one title and four Player of the Month awards.
Shearer is the fastest player to hit a century in the Premier League — taking just 124 games — and remains the only player to hit more than 30 in multiple top-flight campaigns.
Harry Kane has emerged as a shock summer target for Real Madrid.
After failing to land Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe last year, Real have not given up hope of making a marquee signing to bolster Carlo Ancelotti’s attack ahead of next season.
And Tottenham goal machine Kane, 29, is viewed as the ideal candidate, according to Spanish outlet Todofichajes.
The England skipper has netted 15 goals and notched one assist in 18 Premier League appearances so far this season.
The Guardian claim Manchester United have reached a verbal agreement to sign Wout Weghorst.
The report suggests United will pay Besiktas £2.7million to end the Burnley striker’s loan early to take him to Old Trafford until the end of the season.
But the Turkish side are only willing to give final approval if they can find a suitable replacement for the 30-year-old Netherlands international, with Cameroonian ace Vincent Aboubakar believed to be their No1 target.
Harry Kane was on target on his return to Premier League action as Tottenham came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Just 16 days after his penalty miss in the World Cup quarter-final against France, England skipper Kane scored with a towering header to drag Spurs back from the brink of defeat.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then grabbed an equaliser as Tottenham cancelled out goals from Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney.
Their second-half display was a far cry from a lethargic first 45 minutes, with Kane’s only opportunity coming from an early free-kick which clipped the wall.
Brentford went ahead in the 15th minute when Toney flicked the ball on to Bryan Mbeumo, who swept it diagonally to Mathias Jensen in the penalty area.
Fraser Forster, making his first Premier League appearance for Spurs as deputy for World Cup finalist Hugo Lloris, kept out Jensen’s first-time shot but the ball fell at the feet of Janelt for a tap-in
.
It was a familiarly slow start from the visitors, the sixth game in a row in which they had slipped behind.
Toney was back in action for the first time since it emerged he had been charged by the Football Association for alleged breaches of betting rules.
The striker, who missed out on a place in England’s World Cup squad despite his hot form, had the ball in the net after rounding Forster but an offside flag belatedly ruled out the goal.
Toney was not to be denied after the interval, however, as he showed the Bees what they will be missing if he is hit with a ban by the FA.
Mbeumo swung in a near-post corner, Christian Norgaard flicked the ball on and the 26-year-old struck at the far post for his 12th goal of the season.
Kane hauled Spurs back into the match just after the hour when he met a sweeping Clement Lenglet cross with a superb header back across goal.
It was the striker’s 10th Boxing Day goal for Spurs, a Premier League record.
Mbeumo had a chance to restore Brentford’s two-goal lead but he blazed over and moments later Tottenham were level.
The dangerous Dejan Kulusevski pulled the ball back from the byline into the path of Hojbjerg, who lashed it home from 12 yards.
Back came the Bees and Mbeumo was booked for a blatant dive as he looked for a penalty after Forster came racing out of his goal.
Toney had a chance to win it for Brentford but hooked his effort over the crossbar before David Raya’s late save denied Son Heung-Min a stoppage-time winner.
Harry Kane hoped to put his World Cup heartbreak behind him as he was named in Tottenham’s starting line-up for Monday’s trip to Brentford.
Kane missed a late penalty for England in their 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France in Qatar earlier this month.
With Tottenham and Brentford set to play the first Premier League game since the World Cup ended with Lionel Messi and Argentina beating Les Bleus in last week’s final, it had been speculated that Spurs boss Antonio Conte would rest players who had featured in the latter stages of the tournament.
However, Kane was included in the team to face the Bees, along with other World Cup participants Son Heung-min, Ivan Perisic, Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Captain Hugo Lloris was named on the bench, with Fraser Forster getting the nod in goal, and World Cup winner Cristian Romero was left out altogether.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank – fresh from signing a new deal until 2027 – named Ivan Toney in his starting line-up, despite the striker recently being charged with 262 alleged misconduct offences related to betting rules that took place over a four-year period.
Harry Kane feels “as match fit as I’m ever going to feel” as he prepares to lead England against Senegal at the World Cup on Sunday.
After suffering an ankle injury in the opening 6-2 triumph over Iran, England captain Harry Kane has failed to score in Qatar and has had trouble getting back into top form.
He admits he would have preferred to have established his account, but he is not very concerned and claims it is all part of a strategy to peak as the competition progresses.
The Tottenham striker said: “At the World Cup in 2018, from a physical side of things, we started the tournament well, I scored a load of goals and as the tournament progressed, my performances dipped.
“At the Euros I tried to do it the other way round to make sure I was in the best place for the knockouts. I’d love to be sitting here with two or three goals but, minutes-wise, it hasn’t been too tough, and hasn’t been too physical heading into the knockout stages.
“I feel really good, I feel as match fit as I’m ever going to feel. Only time will tell but hopefully I can do well tomorrow and bring my best form into the knockout phase.”
On his ankle, he added: “It feels fine. I had that knock in the first game but it’s been getting better day by day and I almost don’t feel it at all now.
“Form-wise I feel like I’ve been playing well. The goals are what I will be judged on but I am calm and always try to focus on the team, do my best and I can do that in many different ways.
“I will continue to do that and if the goals come then great. As a striker I always want to be scoring goals, it’s going to be a tough game against Senegal but hopefully I can get off the mark.”
“I think we’re in a good place. The group stage is just about getting through, we did our job and now it’s a second competition of knockout football. We have to be prepared to face a tough side on Sunday.
“Senegal’s greatest asset is their togetherness, that’s what’s seen them become African champions and get through the group stage here. It’ll be a tough test but you’re at the World Cup, so you expect to play against the best in the world.”
Englandboss Gareth Southgate has a fully fit squad to choose from but some selection dilemmas, primarily in attacking positions with Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling all candidates to play wide of Kane.
“It’s a good position to be in,” said Southgate. “You want your players in confident mood and our forward players are. You want to make the best decision possible and in some respects I am not sure there’s a right or wrong answer.
“They all offer different attributes and it’s just trying to get the balance right and make the best decisions.”
Southgate is aware of the task that awaits his side and does not feel the absence of injured Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane weakens Senegal.
He added: “We’ve been really impressed by them. They are African champions and have a lot of belief in the team. They have some excellent individual players that can cause problems and a good structure.
“[Senegal coach] Aliou [Cisse] has done a fantastic job. They were unlucky not to qualify from their group in 2018 and did so this time.
“Mane is an incredible player and every team in the world would want to have him but Senegal have become stronger in his absence. They have shown great spirit but losing him doesn’t change the level of difficulty of the fixture tomorrow. We have to be at our very best to win the game.”
Harry Kane looks set to be available for England’s next World Cup encounter with the United States after Jordan Pickford confirmed the Three Lions captain had trained with the rest of the squad.
The Three Lions’ star striker was replaced by Callum Wilson during the 6-2 opening win against Iran on Monday and was subsequently sent for a scan on his ankle.
Kane’s importance to Gareth Southgate’sset-up has been illustrated over back-to-back tournaments, having won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 and helped lead England to the Euro 2020 final last year.
Fears that he could miss Friday’s Group B encounter with the USA look to have been dispelled by Pickford, however, who confirmed the Tottenham forward had been going through drills with his team-mates.
“I think he’s good,” the goalkeeper stated. “[He’s] probably a bit sore, but he’s out on the grass with us today. That’s good, he’s our captain and he’s fine yeah.
“Everyone gave their all when he came off, Callum came on got the assist for Jack’s [Grealish] goal and played well. Everyone’s training well and working hard. Everyone’s here for a reason to play football.
“Harry is an unbelievable player. He’s a leader he’s the captain, and we all look up for him. But there’s also opportunities for other lads as well.
Kane failed to find the back of the net during his side’s rampant opening victory, but could yet exceed Wayne Rooney’s all-time England goalscorer record over the course of the tournament.
The Three Lions are top of Group B and will effectively qualify for the knockout rounds with a victory over the USA ahead of their final group stage game against Wales on November 29.
The best players across the globe will soon swap their club kits and report for international duty. To represent their countries in a fight for the greatest prize in all of soccer: the FIFA World Cup. Yes, the world’s marquee sporting event has arrived. We’re a few days away from kicking off the first ever World Cup during the winter. While most aren’t the biggest soccer aficionados, everyone tunes in to the World Cup in some capacity. From watching the matches, to keeping tabs on headlines and consuming all the content, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is finally upon us. Here is a list of some of the players, not in order, that you should watch for this tournament.
Lionel Messi – Argentina
Leo Messi accepting defeat at the 2014 World Cup Final. Image via Getty
Touted as one of the greatest to most and the GOATto many, PSG’s Lionel Messi goes into the World Cup in fine form with the best Argentina side since they made a run to the Final in 2014. In what is likely his final chance to add a World Cup trophy to all his accolades and silverware, he leads an impressive Argentina team that is on a 35-match unbeaten streak. Considered a dark horse to win the World Cup, this team always has a chance to take it all with Messi dominating the pitch with his brilliance. Expect him to pour everything he has into his final chance at locking up the glory for his country and the undisputed GOAT title.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
Image via Francois Nel/Getty
Dominating headlines and the sport for well over a decade plus with his talent and charisma, Cristiano Ronaldo enters his final World Cup with a strong Portuguese side. Despite him not being in his best form following a major rift between him and Manchester United to start the club season, this Portugal team is in good position to make a deep run. Ronaldo is always a threat to score goals and with one of the best teams he’s lined up with in this tournament you can expect their talisman to turn it on for his country. Like Messi, his GOAT status can be secured if the Seleção das Quinas lift the World Cup Trophy in December especially after a rough stretch with Man United.
Neymar Jr. – Brazil
Image via Getty/Michael Reaves
As one of the if not the most exciting players to watch for club and country, Neymar leads Brazil into the 2022 World Cup as the favorites to win it all. He is in the form of his life at the moment, netting goals and assists for PSG with relative ease. While the favorite for the World Cup has never won it all, he looks to add to his legacy as one of the greatest footballers of all time. If you thought his Paris Saint Germain team was stacked, the Brazil squad has the talent to win it all and then some but he is undoubtedly the best player on his team and possibly the entire tournament this year. He should be an easy favorite for the Golden Boot this tournament.
Kylian Mbappe – France
Image via Getty/Ryan Pierse
With news of Karim Benzema picking up an injury just before their first group stage game, Kylian Mbappe becomes even more important for the reigning champions. They’ve suffered a handful of injuries and losing the Ballon d’Or Benz is huge but Mbappe has proven before he can carry a team with his pace, ability, and skill. The young stud has a clinical precision for goal and is considered one of the best when it comes to burying it in the net. Erling Haaland has recently taken the mantle for best young player in the world with a scorching start for Man City but with a strong run for France he can easily claim that back. It’s incredibly hard to repeat in the World Cup yet if Mbappe is in form there is no stopping his prowess on the pitch.
Harry Kane – England
Image via Getty/Michael Regan
Despite never securing a trophy in his entire footballing career for club and country, Harry Kane enters the 2022 World Cup with one of his best chances. This English national team is one of their strongest sides in quite some time and the Tottenham Spurs striker should relish many goal scoring opportunities to put on for his country. Could it be coming home? That will rely on Kane putting in the finest performances of his career with a team that continues to ascend the national team ranks. He will be extremely important for England and could challenge for the Golden Boot if they make a deeper run into the knockout stages.
Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium
Image via Getty/Dean Mouhtaropoulos
Considered the best midfielder in the game at the moment and he hasn’t even reached his peak yet. Manchester City and Belgium’s KDB is a boss on the pitch. One of the best international teams of the decade despite not winning any major trophies, his team made an epic run to the Semis in the 2018 World Cup but lost to Croatia. Expect him to control the game for his side as the best player on the team and push the Belgians forward to and deep into the knockout stages. He is a must watch talent and one of the finest players in the entire sport.
Christian Pulisic – USA
Image via Getty/Silvestre Szpylma
Captain America debuts in his first World Cup as the USMNT returns to international football after missing out on the biggest stage in 2018. At this stage in his career, Pulisic is still fighting for first team minutes with Chelsea but he knows how to make an impact in his limited time. Yet while he plays international football, Pulisic is their most important player. He’s the leader and arguably the best player that the United States has ever produced to play the beautiful game. Yes, he’s already up there with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Will he add to his legacy? Team USA will need him firing on all cylinders to make a deeper run with their young squad and he’s more than capable as he suits up for the red, white and blue.
Pedri – Spain
Image via Getty/Fran Santiago
One of the game’s youngest stars suits up for one of the youngest Spanish sides the country has ever fielded for a World Cup. Arriving in Barcelona two years ago and breaking out for the club in such a short time frame, Spain’s wunderkind is oozing with talent. Despite being only 19 years old, he finds himself as his team’s most important player and one of the critical pieces to their success during this WC. Claiming both the 2021 Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy, both awarded to the best player under 21, the kid has a balled out in any competition he competes in. He will shine and continue to ascend the ranks as one of the best in the game.
Federico Valverde – Uruguay
Image via Getty/Alberto Valdez
Coming off a breakout season at Real Madrid where he’s pivoted from the midfield to the right wing for Real Madrid, it seems Fede is tapping into a new level. He’s a fixture on the reigning UCL Champs club’s starting XI and now has found himself banging screamers into the net to kick off the new season. The ever so versatile player continues to become more well-rounded with experience and will be extremely important for a true dark horse in Uruguay to win it all. Finding himself as a scorer only adds to the strong side’s chances. Look for him to break out on an international level this 2022 World Cup.
Jamal Musiala
Image via Getty
Bayern Munich’s latest phenom looks to take the international stage by storm. Musiala is only 19 years old but has tallied 22 goal contributions, 12 goals and 10 assists, in just 22 games meaning he has a huge impact for Germany’s biggest football club this season.
While the German international team is relatively experienced, the young yet gifted attacking midfielder can impact the game with just a single touch on the pitch.
He is extremely talented, slicing through opposing defense at will and will be a menace for the opposition to contain.
England captain Harry Kane will go for a scan on his ankle ahead of the Three Lions’ next World Cup encounter against the United States.
Kane was brought down in a heavy challenge by Morteza Pouraliganji three minutes into the second half of England’s 6-2 thrashing of Iran on Monday.
After some treatment, the striker picked himself up and continued until the 75th minute, when he was replaced by Newcastle forward Callum Wilson.
Kane was seen limping after the match with his right ankle strapped, though manager Gareth Southgate appeared unworried over the striker’s fitness, saying he was replaced because the game was already won.
But the Tottenham star will now have his injury assessed, causing concern over the talisman’s availability for England’s second Group B fixture against the USA on Friday.
The 29-year-old registered two assists before making way for Wilson as England ran riot against Iran and would be a huge miss for Southgate if his ankle injury proves serious enough to rule him out.
Kane is just two goals away from equalling Wayne Rooney’s 53 goals as the Three Lions’ all-time top scorer.
Harry Kane believes England are no longer scared of admitting they can win the World Cup, where he thinks the Three Lions’ poor form may work in their favour.
Gareth Southgate’s side reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final and lost on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 showpiece in what was England’s first major final in 55 years.
But they head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup short of form after being relegated from the top tier of the Nations League following three draws and three losses in Group A3.
Southgate’s team have not won since a 3-0 friendly victory over Ivory Coast in March but captain Kane says the Three Lions will not shy away from outlining their hopes of lifting the World Cup.
“We have to believe we can win it,” the Tottenham striker told Sky Sports.”I look back at England 10, 15 years ago and it was almost [like] we were scared to say we wanted to win it.
“I think one of the big shifts that we’ve made over the last four or five years with Gareth is not being afraid to say that.
“Look, we’re going to this tournament to win it because we believe we can. It’d be wrong to think otherwise. What’s the point of going to a World Cup and not believing that you can bring the trophy home?
“It’s going to be tough and we’re going to have to work extremely hard, have a little bit of luck and have a lot of things go our way to achieve that.
“But I think it’s important not to be afraid to say that that’s what we’re going there to do.”
Pressure has mounted on Southgate after a dismal Nations League showing, yet Kane says the winless run has lowered expectations and may help England in their November 21 opener against Iran.
“The first game’s really important, for sure,” Kane added. “Of course it hasn’t been the greatest period in a long time for England. Since Gareth took charge – we haven’t had a spell like we’ve had.
“But in a way, before a major tournament that can be a really good thing because it allows you not to be carried away, or even the media or the press to get carried away.
“I feel like if we won every game leading up to this tournament it would’ve been, ‘We’re guaranteed to win it’ and ‘We’re going to win it’, and that can come with a different pressure.
“We feel like being judged on major tournaments is the main thing and the last two we’ve had have been good.”
As for the fitness of Kane, who has been ever-present for Tottenham in the Premier League, the 29-year-old believes the mid-season tournament will help him hit the ground running.
“For sure, I’d rather be going into it playing loads of games where you feel match fit,” he continued. “Sometimes after the season in the summer you have a break and then you have to gear back up to play and you haven’t played a lot of games.
“You can try and train as much as you can but the bottom line is you need to be ready to have all your energy ready for the game, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I think major tournaments test you the most in terms of the high pressure. Playing for England is always high pressure but in a major tournament there’s always that added incentive.
“The mentality of being away from home, being in camp for five or six weeks but this one is fairly quick because it’s during the season. Normally you’re away four or five weeks before the tournament and then you’re away four or five weeks in the tournament, so it is a long period of time where you’re just outside your comfort zone.
“But I guess what separates the top nations and the winning nations from the others is who can deal with that the best.”
Tottenham will simply have to “deal with the fact” Antonio Conte will not be with them when they face Marseille in Tuesday’s crunch Champions League group-stage game.
That is according to Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who took over press conference duties along with assistant head coach Cristian Stellini after Conte decided not to attend following his red card at the end of the draw with Sporting CP last week.
The Spurs head coach was furious after Harry Kane’s stoppage-time goal at 1-1 was ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside, and his reaction saw him sent off.
As a result, Conte will be banned from being on the touchline or in the dressing room for the crucial Group D clash with Marseille at Stade Velodrome.
“Of course, your head coach is a massive part of the team,” Hojbjerg told reporters on Monday. “Luckily he has a very good staff and players who are very well aware of what he expects from them and we’ll try the best to fill his role.
“Whether he’ll hide in a laundry basket [referencing Jose Mourinho doing so at Chelsea in 2005 when banned], I don’t know. I’d say no,” he joked.
“He’s a person who lives every game with great passion, with his heart. We need to make sure we’re well-prepared, which we are. We have to deal with the fact that he’s not on the sideline.
“For me it’s not a difficult situation, it’s more a different situation. We know what we have to do and realise the ambition. The focus is on the pitch and what we have to do.”
3 – Spurs boss Antonio Conte has just three wins from his last 12 home matches in the UEFA Champions League (D7 L2), a run that encompasses spells with Chelsea and Inter. Turgid. pic.twitter.com/c5RvQB2ftG
Spurs lead the group heading into the final round of matches but know they must win to guarantee their passage to the last 16, with a draw only being enough should Sporting and Eintracht Frankfurt also draw.
Marseille are bottom of the group, but will leapfrog Spurs with a home win, though Igor Tudor’s side are winless in their past four games in all competitions (D1 L3).
“Our ambition is to go through. That’s what we’re playing for,” Hojbjerg added. “It was a rollercoaster last week [against Sporting CP] but that doesn’t help us now. We have the chance tomorrow to achieve our objective.”
Stellini confirmed Spurs will still be without injured trio Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Cristian Romero, and outlined what the situation will be with Conte’s involvement on the day.
“He will sit next to Gianluca [Conte, technical and analytics coach] for sure. I don’t know where. He will be here at the stadium,” Stellini said. “He will work with us until we arrive here and then we have to stop the communication and then he will stay close to Gianluca.
“We have prepared all the strategies and our strategies are clear. We have to play our match at the best and we all have to do something more to fill the gap.”
Harry Kane’s importance to Tottenham is as significant as the impact Lionel Messi had during his career at Barcelona, according to Clement Lenglet.
France defender Lenglet is well known to Messi having played alongside him at Camp Nou and also against the Argentina great during his time at Sevilla.
Messi had been a one-club man until the start of the 2021-22 season when Barca’s perilous financial situation saw him depart for Paris Saint-Germain.
The superstar forward became the club’s all-time leading scorer and a record seven-time Ballon d’Or winner at Barca, while he counts 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League medals among a plethora of honours won with Los Cules.
While Kane has yet to win a medal with Spurs, Lenglet – who joined Tottenham from Barca on loan in the last transfer window – talked up the impact he has on the club.
In quotes reported by the Daily Mail, Lenglet said: “When you stay a long time in the same place and you achieve so many good things with the club it means you become a part of this club.
“Your face is connected to the club. For me, Messi is always a Barca player.
“For Harry it’s the same. It’s difficult to think of Harry in another country or playing for another team. Tottenham is a big club, Harry is a big player and Harry is a big part of Tottenham.
“We speak a lot about the player and that’s important because we are players but I give the same importance to what he is like as a guy. He is an amazing example for all his team-mates.”
Describing what it is like to be play with and against Messi, Lenglet added: “You play with the greatest player in the world in my opinion.
“He helps you improve every day. I played with him [for Barca] and against him for Sevilla – it’s better with him!”
Lenglet has made just three Premier League starts for Spurs this season but said it only required a short conversation with boss Antonio Conte to persuade him to make the move to north London, where he is still adjusting to a new way of life.
“We spoke about a lot of things. He [Conte] told me if I came here I would improve because the league is so competitive, you have to be ready and focused every game,” Lenglet said.
“He said if I came here I would be happy because I would progress as a football player and it has been a good decision.
“It’s a different culture, a different way to work. I was in Spain for six years. You work one way, you think one way, the football is the same. Now, you come to England – a different league, different intensity, different way to work. It’s a good way to improve.”
Tottenham sit third in the Premier League and are out to rebound from defeat against Manchester United when they face Newcastle United on Sunday.
After Richarlison infuriated supporters on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte jumped to the striker’s defense.
For the third match in a row, Richarlison made his debut from the bench. Late in the game, the Brazilian gave Harry Kane an assist to put the game beyond Nottingham Forest’s control.
Spurs had to work hard for the victory because Forest predominated for extended stretches. Although they played well, the freshly promoted team was unable to penetrate Hugo Lloris’s net.
The game was full of highlights, with Conte forced to comment on Richarlison’s piece of showboating towards the tail-end of the game.
The former Everton man received the ball close to the touchline. He then proceeded to do some keepy-uppies before eventually releasing the ball. He ended up misplacing the pass and in his attempt to win it back, was fouled by Forest’s players.
Speaking after the game and as quoted by the Guardian, Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper was livid.
I wouldn’t want my players to do what Richarlison did. It wouldn’t be accepted here.
Conte, on his end, said,
I think he juggled with the ball. It is a game and you are under pressure. I repeat it is OK. I don’t think Richy wanted to show disrespect to Nottingham Forest as quoted by Football London.
Richarlison is not new to controversy. Apart from his impeccable football ability, he is known for winding up the opposition. He will be pushing to start more games after impressing off the bench in recent games.
Gabriel Jesus is a great pick, if not an original one, but the 591,013 managers who gave him the captain’s armband against Leicester stole a march on nearly six million others who went with either Erling Haaland or Mo Salah in gameweek two.
You may well be tempted to follow suit in gameweek three with Arsenal away to Bournemouth and if you’re a Darwin Nunez owner who doesn’t have Jesus then that is a very obvious switch with the Liverpool striker now suspended for three games after his red card against Crystal Palace.
Away from the obvious names of Haaland and Harry Kane, I think Brentford’s Ivan Toney is definitely a good Nunez replacement with a goal and two assists to his name already this season before a run of fixtures against the likes of Fulham, Everton, Leeds and Southampton.
That would also give you a couple of million to beef up your defence or midfield.
Going back to the Arsenal theme Gabriel Martinelli, now £6.3m, has definitely been worth the saving on Bukayo Saka (£8m) so far, but if you’re a Saka owner like me then I would stick with him and I’m even tempted to be greedy and go for both.
There’s no harm in an Arsenal double-up, or even triple-up along with Jesus, for fixtures against Bournemouth, Fulham, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Everton in the next five gameweeks.
The double Manchester City defence, Joao Cancelo plus one of Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker or Ederson, looks like a very sound strategy as they simply haven’t looked like conceding a goal so far this season. Walker is the best value option there but his price has already risen to £5.1m with lots of managers adding him to their teams.
If you chose Kevin De Bruyne over Mo Salah or Son Heung-Min as your premium midfielder then that worked out very nicely in gameweek two, but I wouldn’t sell Salah or Son if that’s the way you’ve gone because their time will come.
De Bruyne is purring though at the start of this season and comes with less rotation risk than the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, hence his higher price tag.
Don’t ignore Ilkay Gundogan either at £7.5m, particularly with Bernardo Silva’s future still up in the air. The German has started both games this season and continues to get in great attacking positions as proved by his goal against Bournemouth.
Talking of attacking positions, I commentated on Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 win over West Ham last weekend and Neco Williams really caught the eye, putting in some excellent crosses from set-pieces and open play. If you’re looking for a bargain defender then he’s your man at £4m.
I’m already going off the idea of my two £4m Leicester goalkeepers though – Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen – after the team has shipped six goals against Brentford and Arsenal, so I think I’m going to bump one of them up to Brighton’s Robert Sanchez, who costs just £500,000 more.
Leon Bailey also looks like an early problem in my squad, as he will be for plenty of other managers as he was owned by almost 15% of us in the game in gameweek two, but there’s not many reliable options at his price point of £5m to replace him.
Brentford’s Josh Dasilva is an option at just £4.6m and his return to first-team action has been a heart-warming story this season, but will he continue to start regularly in a competitive Brentford midfield?
I still think Fulham’s Andreas Pereira is the best £4.5m midfielder if he’s fit, or you could go for Brighton’s Pascal Gross at £5.6m if you’re able to spend a little more.
The best bet, if you haven’t already got him, might be to make some money by downgrading someone else in your squad and bumping Bailey up to Martinelli – can you tell I’m quite keen on him?
Finally we’d love you to get involved on the Fantasy 606 podcast this season with me, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave.
We’ve got a team managed by the listeners going up against us, but unfortunately gameweek two hasn’t gone all that well for you – Robbie from Brisbane opted for a -4 to take Andy Robertson and Jesus out of the team to replace them with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Nunez, a move which actually ended up costing 26 points!
If you want to have a go then please e-mail us on fantasy606@bbc.co.uk.
The first episode of the podcast previewing the new season is currently available on the BBC Sounds App.
Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment.
England captain Harry Kane has said he has discussed taking a unified stance on the human rights issues surrounding this year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar with Denmark’s Christian Eriksen and France captain Hugo Lloris.
“Christian Eriksen got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago now,” the 28-year-old told reporters during a press conference on Monday, Reuters reported.
Kane, who is teammates with Lloris at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, said: “Obviously, there is Hugo Lloris, who I am in touch with a lot anyway. So the discussion was there to maybe do something as a collective.
“When we come to a decision of something we want to do, for sure, we will share it,” he added, speaking ahead of his side’s UEFA Nations League match against Hungary on Tuesday. “I think it will be important to do it collectively. I feel like it will be a bit more of a stance, a bit more power.”
CNN has contacted Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), which is in charge of coordinating the tournament, for a response.
Hugo Lloris (far left), Harry Kane (center left) and Christian Eriksen (far right) during a training session when they were Tottenham teammates.
Human rights issues
Much of the buildup to this year’s tournament has focused on Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and the country’s anti-homosexuality laws.
In May, Norway’s FA President Lise Klaveness gave a stinging speech where she said the decision to give World Cup hosting rights to Qatar was “unacceptable,” insisting that FIFA should do more to uphold its principles of human rights.
A month later, Amnesty International sent an open letter co-signed by other human rights organizations to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, asking football’s international governing body to designate at least $440 million to reimburse migrant workers.
The letter followed a report published by Amnesty in April that said security guards who are migrant workers in Qatar — including some with jobs on projects linked to the World Cup — are being put through working conditions “which amount to forced labor.”
In a statement, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said it has been “committed to protecting the health, safety and security of any worker engaged on official FIFA World Cup projects.”
However, the Amnesty report claimed the SC and FIFA fell short of conducting “adequate due diligence” before contracting private companies for the World Cup.
Australian footballer Josh Cavallo has also spoken out ahead of this year’s World Cup.
Until Blackpool FC’s Jake Daniels came out as gay in May, Cavallo was the only current, openly gay player in men’s top flight football. He told English newspaper the Guardian last year that he would be “scared” to play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison.
Responding to Cavallo’s fears, Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of the tournament’s organizing committee, told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies: “On the contrary, we welcome him here in the state of Qatar, we welcome him to come and see even prior to the World Cup … Nobody feels threatened here, nobody feels unsafe.”
‘They’re making a stand’
Declan Rice (far left) and John Stones (center right) take the knee prior to England’s Euro 2020 quarterfinal against Ukraine.
The current roster of footballers in England’s men’s national team have historically taken a stance on social issues.
Before and during the Euro 2020 tournament last summer, England’s players took the knee ahead of each game — an act manager Gareth Southgate said showed their support of anti-racism — even though the gesture continued to divide fans.
In 2020, England forward Marcus Rashford steered a campaign to end child food poverty and successfully persuaded the UK government to reverse its decision to not extend free school meal vouchers for disadvantaged children during the summer holidays.
“They’re making a stand every time they speak,” Southgate said during the press conference on Monday.
Southgate said he had met with some of the workers in Qatar and “had a long discussion” with them, adding, “I’m back out there in a few weeks.”
“The FA are doing things. I know Harry has had conversations with some of the other captains as well, because we think some collective standpoints would be important,” Southgate added.
“I think to have that consistency, I don’t think countries are wanting to outdo each other or pick each other off. I think they’re trying to do something that would try to make a difference if possible. So, you know, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.”
The World Cup is set to take place from November 21 to December 18 later this year.
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