'I've been there' – Gerrard considers Kane's 'big decision' on Spurs future

By Sports Desk March 27, 2023

Steven Gerrard can understand what Harry Kane might be thinking as he weighs up whether to leave Tottenham in pursuit of silverware.

Aside from a series of loan spells as a teenager, Kane has spent his entire club career at Spurs.

He is now Tottenham's record goalscorer, also becoming England's leading marksman during this international break.

But Kane remains without a major honour to his name, losing three finals with Spurs and one with England.

That wait for glory will not end this season, with Tottenham eliminated from the FA Cup and Champions League before Antonio Conte departed on Sunday.

With Manchester City dominant, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United rejuvenated and Liverpool and Chelsea likely to improve next season, the window in which Spurs can succeed may be closing.

That has prompted plenty of debate around Kane's future, but Gerrard is in a good position to consider the England captain's options.

Gerrard spent all but the final 18 months of his career at Liverpool.

Although he did win silverware – most notably the Champions League in 2005 – the Reds favourite never lifted the Premier League trophy and surely would have enjoyed greater success elsewhere.

Gerrard, appearing on Channel 4, said of Kane: "He's got a big decision to make career-wise.

"I've been there myself, where you're thinking: 'Is my team good enough to get me the medals? Am I going to get out of my career what I want to get?'"

Gerrard's emotional ties to Liverpool meant he stuck by them in pursuit of a long-awaited league triumph, but he believes a potential move will be playing on Kane's mind.

"It's different for me," Gerrard added. "I knew winning one trophy more with Liverpool would have meant a lot more to me than being anywhere else.

"He's got a big decision to make. I can't give him any advice on that, but I bet you every single day of his life now moving forward, it's going to be on his mind."

Kane pushed for a move to Man City in 2021, but Tottenham stood firm. City went on to sign Erling Haaland last year.

Man United appear more likely suitors for the 29-year-old this time, looking for a big-name striker to pair with Marcus Rashford following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

Related items

  • Ange Postecoglou wants to savour Celtic’s success, not discuss the future Ange Postecoglou wants to savour Celtic’s success, not discuss the future

    Ange Postecoglou vowed to enjoy Celtic’s record-breaking treble for as long as he could before someone “drags” him away to focus on other issues as he continued to dodge questions over his future.

    Postecoglou is odds-on favourite to take over at Tottenham and refused to give any indication on whether he would be departing Celtic Park after making it five trophies in two seasons with a 3-1 Scottish Cup win over Inverness.

    Many Celtic fans fear their manager is London-bound and he would not give any assurances to the contrary.

    “I will say to them what I said to the players, let’s enjoy this,” he said. “I deserve to enjoy this, the people around me deserve to enjoy this.

    “Whatever other people want to focus on and talk about, I am not going to miss enjoying this moment with this group of people but also I owe it to my family, my friends, all of those closest to me.

    “Everyone works hard and makes sacrifices to enjoy these moments. I understand that other people who aren’t invested in it want to ask these questions but for me, right now, the most important thing is that we reflect and just be in the moment of creating something special.”

    When it was pointed out that fans who are heavily-invested in Celtic are among those asking the questions, the 57-year-old said: “Yeah, but they deserve to enjoy this moment because, irrespective of what happens in the future, why would you not want to enjoy this moment just for what it is? It’s something historic.”

    When asked if he anticipated being in Glasgow next season, the former Australia head coach said: “I anticipate enjoying this moment for the next 24-48 hours, as long as I can, before someone drags me away and takes my attention away from enjoying something that’s been hard-earned.

    “The reality is, there’s probably players in that dressing room who won’t be here next year. That’s the nature of football.

    “But I want them to enjoy it, I am going to enjoy it, and that’s all I am going to focus on until someone grabs me by the collar and tells me that I have to answer certain questions.”

  • RB Leipzig 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: Nkunku and Szoboszlai strikes ensure DFB-Pokal defence RB Leipzig 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: Nkunku and Szoboszlai strikes ensure DFB-Pokal defence

    Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai scored as RB Leipzig retained the DFB-Pokal with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday's final at the Olympiastadion.

    Nkunku – playing what will likely be his final game for Leipzig amid suggestions he is set to join Chelsea – beat Kevin Trapp with a deflected effort 71 minutes into a tight encounter in Berlin.

    Leipzig were rarely threatened by an uninspired Eintracht team, and Marco Rose's men wrapped up the victory when Nkunku turned provider, teeing up Szoboszlai to score five minutes from time.

    That meant Leipzig capped a third-placed Bundesliga finish with a second major trophy in as many seasons, while Oliver Glasner's final game in charge of Eintracht was one to forget.  

    Timo Werner spurned a glorious chance to put Leipzig ahead after four minutes, side-footing straight at Trapp following a lightning counter-attack.

    Randal Kolo Muani hit the side netting from a tight angle and Nkunku forced Tuta into a last-ditch block at the other end, but both sides struggled to break their opponents down in a cagey first half.

    Eintracht's threat grew after the interval, but Mario Gotze volleyed straight at Janis Blaswich when presented with their best sight of goal, and Glasner's side were swiftly punished.

    There was a huge stroke of fortune as Nkunku struck first, the Frenchman cutting in from the left before seeing his shot take two deflections to beat the unfortunate Trapp.

    Eintracht never looked like fighting back from there, though, and Leipzig put the result beyond all doubt when Szoboszlai fired into the bottom-left corner after composed play  by Nkunku.

  • Keira Walsh happy as ‘special club’ Barcelona land another Champions League Keira Walsh happy as ‘special club’ Barcelona land another Champions League

    England midfielder Keira Walsh outlined her ambitions to stay at serial winners Barcelona for the long haul after they sealed a stunning 3-2 comeback against Wolfsburg to lift the Champions League trophy for the second time in three years.

    Saturday’s sold-out Eindhoven showpiece was the first time Walsh was part of a title-winning side in the European competition, while club and country team-mate Lucy Bronze is now a four-time champion following a trio of victories with Lyon.

    Walsh, 26,  joined Liga F champions Barcelona on a three-season deal last September, less than two months after winning the Euros with England, and admitted she is loving the look of her trophy cabinet.

    She told DAZN: “It’s been a pretty good year. The Euros, the Champions League, I think if someone was to tell me this was going to happen I wouldn’t believe them.

    “To play for Barcelona, for these fans, it’s a special, special feeling,” adding of her future at the club: “Yeah. I think you want to be playing in these games and winning Champions Leagues and this is the club that does that.”

    Walsh’s side beat Chelsea to reach their fourth final in five seasons, and had redemption on their minds after a crushing 3-1 loss to Lyon in Turin last year.

    Despite being heavy favourites there was a sense of deja vu for Barca, who conceded their fastest-ever opener in the competition when Ewa Pajor netted on just two minutes and 57 seconds.

    That brought back memories of Turin, where Barcelona fell behind after just six minutes and conceded twice more before the break.

    This time it was just a two-goal deficit at the restart after Alexandra Popp headed home on 37 minutes, but the shock nonetheless forced Walsh and her team-mates to dig deep.

    They did so in spectacular style through Patricia Guijarro, who netted twice in two minutes to ensure it was all square after just five minutes of the second period, and Fridolina Rolfo sealed the result with a 70th-minute winner.

    Walsh said: “First half, not great for us. I think we kept the ball but didn’t score on our chances, so to score three goals in the second half was incredible.

    “We just came in at half-time and Alexia [Putellas] said that if there’s any team that can overturn a two-nil it’s this team and that’s what we did. Patri Guijarro, she’s a special, special player and I think today it’s about time that people recognised that.

    “For me the best player in the world.”

    Bronze, meanwhile, made history by becoming the first English player to win the Women’s Champions League with two different clubs in her first game back since recovering from an April knee injury.

    It was enough to require surgery, which some feared might see her added to the list of Lionesses set to miss the World Cup, but the defender played the full final and looks fit to start England’s opener against Haiti in exactly seven weeks.

    Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman was on trophy-presenting duty at Saturday’s final, which got off to a shaky start for Bronze after her error led to Wolfsburg’s opener.

    Bronze, who played the full match, said: “Once there was two goals we shut up shop, we made it really difficult defensively, created loads of chances in attack.

    “It was difficult for myself and Frido, we both haven’t played for five weeks, obviously I’ve had surgery – I’ve only trained a couple of times. It was definitely difficult but I’m so happy to have played my part for the team.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.