Dele Alli has told Harry Kane to ignore the detractors after the England striker was the subject of negative headlines this week.
Kane received criticism for the first time in his career after, in his bid for a third successive Premier League Golden Boot, he claimed Tottenham’s second goal at Stoke last weekend, when it was originally awarded to Christian Eriksen.
The Golden Boot’s frontrunner Mohamed Salah was one of a number of Kane’s fellow professionals to question the Premier League’s decision to hand him the goal, while the Tottenham man has been the subject of extensive ridicule on social media for his pursuit of an appeal.
Alli said: “Harry is an unbelievable striker. To be honest he touched it so it’s his goal and every striker would and should claim it if it is their goal.
“He has just got to ignore what everyone else is saying, he knows how good he is and I am sure everyone else knows how good he is.
“Everyone is different, I don’t know how H is going to take it, but I think it gives some people a chance to put him down.
“But playing with him every day in training I can see how hard he works, he wants goals, he’s a striker, every striker wants goals, so he has just got to ignore it and focus on himself which I am sure he will do.
“He is an unbelievable player and he is a great person as well. If it was me and I touched the ball I would try and claim it as well.”
Kane’s bonus goal against Stoke cut the gap on Salah to four goals but Liverpool’s talisman stretched that back to five when he scored his 30th goal of the season in the win against Bournemouth.
Kane barely looked like finding the scoresheet in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, though ironically he set up Christian Eriksen for Spurs’ goal.
He now has five games left to try and overhaul Salah’s tally and Alli is not writing his friend off, though says securing Champions League football next season is everyone’s primary aim.
“I wouldn’t put it past him, we have seen what he has done before. Last year against (Romelu) Lukaku it was a tough competition and he finished the season really strongly with the amount of goals he scored.
“Salah is in great form. That can’t be H’s main focus, we are a team and we have got to play together and if he does it he does it and we will all be happy for him, but I don’t think we are going to focus too much on it.”
