Gary Lineker has admitted he fears for Harry Kane’s long-term fitness, after a recurring ankle problem put the Tottenham striker on the sidelines once again last month.
England captain Kane damaged ankle ligaments in Tottenham’s defeat against Manchester United at Wembley, with an initial diagnosis suggesting the injury would rule him out of action until early March.
Kane posted images of him in training that suggested his return could be quicker than expected, yet former Tottenham striker Lineker has admitted the persistent ankle issues are a concern for a striker he hails as ‘the best in the world’.
“It is always a worry when you get a recurring injury and there is clearly a little weakness in there,” BT Sport presenter Lineker told Goal in an exclusive interview.
“No player wants to have an injury that keeps cropping up, but ankles are not as bad as having a recurring calf problem or a hamstring issue, as they can be hard to overcome. You can roll your ankle and get away with it to an extent, but the more you do it, the more you worry the weakness will become a problem.
“The sequence of events on that Sunday afternoon when Kane injured himself could not have been worse for Tottenham. They played well against United and should have won the game, but ended up losing and then Kane did his ankle in the final seconds, so it was just a terrible day overall.
"They have picked up some positive results in the Premier League over the last few weeks though and are in a strong position despite losing some key players at the wrong moment.
“Maybe Kane can come back for the second leg of the Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund and having had this injury before, Harry will know when he is ready to play again. The pressure will be there for him to come back because Tottenham need him for the Dortmund tie.”
Lineker hopes Kane can achieve his ambitions at Tottenham, but admits the club will struggle to hold on to both their No.10 and manager Mauricio Pochettino unless they convert their promise into tangible success.
“You can see a club like Real Madrid making a move for Kane at some stage, but it is a question of timing whether he wants to be part of Tottenham going into the new stadium. I hope he stays and I hope the manager Pochettino stays too because we know he is in demand,” adds Lineker.
“I remember when Kane came through at Tottenham and had a good run, everyone said he was a one season wonder, it will never last. What he has done in the last few years is prove he is the real deal.
“He reminds me so much of Alan Shearer. He has that same drive, that desire to score goals. He wants to take all the penalties, the free-kicks, any opportunity to score a goal, Kane wants to be there and all the best goal scorers have that.
“He loves scoring goals. I had that that same desire when I was playing, so I totally understand what drives him, but I would say he is a little closer to Shearer in playing style that he was to me.
“What is Kane’s value in the current transfer market? Given his age, his record, the fact that he was top scorer at the World Cup last summer....name your price and add some more to that.”
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