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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg says his Spurs teammate Harry Kane has the quality to become ‘number one in the world.’
The midfielder’s comments come after Kane netted in the 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Brentford.
Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney put the hosts 2-0 up, but goals from Kane and Hojbjerg within six minutes helped Spurs fight back for a 2-2 draw.
Spurs striker can be ‘number one in the world’
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Kane was back in club action after his 2022 World Cup exploits with England, where the captain missed a penalty in his nation’s quarter-final loss to France.
He did, however, score twice in Qatar, and more importantly has 13 Premier League goals this season. Only Manchester City star Erling Haaland (18) has more.
Such form has impressed fellow Spurs man Hojbjerg, who has backed his striker to continue finding the back of the net.
“To underestimate his strength is a big mistake,” said Hojbjerg, as reported by BBC Sport. “He is a machine. He has the quality to be number one in the world. The biggest mistake you can do in football is to doubt Harry Kane.”
Conte with no doubts about Kane’s mentality
Kane’s clinical header against the Bees was his 196th Premier League goal, with only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) passing 200 goals in the competition.
The goal also saw him score against all 32 clubs he has played against in the top flight.
While it may have been a disappointing overall result for Kane and Spurs, manager Antonio Conte praised his striker’s mentality. His comments came after a section of the home support criticised Kane for ‘letting his country down’ in Qatar.
“About Harry I have zero doubt about his mentality,” said Conte. “He’s facing a strange situation. He had a really good World Cup and also the team played to the quarter-final, then he missed a decisive penalty.
“If you are strong mentally you move on and Harry did this. I think the fans were scared because he is playing for Tottenham, not for what happened with England.”
Spurs fall victim to terrific Toney
Another striker in red-hot form this season is Brentford’s Toney, who sits just two goals behind Spurs forward Kane in the scoring charts with 11.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who on Christmas Eve signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with the club until 2027, was full of praise for the goalscorer on Boxing Day.
The striker’s clinical instincts were on show just after half-time when he reacted quickest after Christian Norgaard had headed on a corner.
He was seemingly unaffected by the FA charge currently surrounding his career, with the 26-year-old recently charged with 262 alleged betting breaches.
Speaking about Toney after the game, Frank said: “I wish I knew how he does it because then I would bottle it up and sell it for a lot of money.
“He is very, very special, he has unbelievable character and mentality and the ability to focus on the moment. His performance today, wow. He has a natural inner drive to constantly push himself and those around him. He constantly is a threat, he’s special.”
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