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KANE VOW

Harry Kane insists he will find his scoring form again after slow start to season for Spurs and England

England and Spurs striker has suffered another frustrating start to the season with no goals in four games

HARRY KANE has vowed he will rediscover his scoring mojo.

The England and Spurs striker has suffered another frustrating start to the season with no goals in four games.

 Harry Kane is yet to score for Spurs this season
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Harry Kane is yet to score for Spurs this seasonCredit: Getty Images

Kane said: “There was a lot of talk last year and I managed to prove a lot of people wrong. People will talk this year as well. It’s part of football. It doesn’t bother me.

“I didn’t score in my first eight games last season. To go on and win the Golden Boot proves it was just a matter of time. If I continue doing what I am doing, the goals will come.”

Kane looks knackered — which is hardly surprising after a staggering 72 games in less than 15 months.

The striker’s sluggishness for club and country has been a concern going back to the end of last season.

 Martin Skrtel pleads his innocence after he was shown a yellow card for elbowing Harry Kane in the face
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Martin Skrtel pleads his innocence after he was shown a yellow card for elbowing Harry Kane in the faceCredit: Getty Images

And he once again struggled against Slovakia in Trnava on Sunday evening.

Kane, 23, is confident he will rediscover his top form.

But a ridiculous conveyor belt of matches was always going to take its toll on a player who is clearly lacking the energy, sharpness and goal threat.

At the end of his breakthrough 2014-15 season, Kane was taken to Malaysia and Australia by Tottenham for two ridiculous post-season friendlies.

Kane was applauded for a deter-mination to play at the 2015 European Under-21 Championships, where he played the full 90 minutes in all three of the games in the Czech Republic.

 Kane has not scored for England in six games after his blank against Slovakia
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Kane has not scored for England in six games after his blank against SlovakiaCredit: Getty Images

Then, the mad run of games properly kicked in. A pre-season friendly against the MLS All Stars in Colorado followed by two Audi Cup matches in Munich.

Kane was a slow-burner last season and his first club goal did not arrive until September 26 in a 4-1 win over Manchester City.

A record of 32 goals over a campaign of 64 games for Spurs and England was outstanding.

But after finding the net against Turkey in a Euro 2016 warm-up — despite being offside — Kane failed to score in the next five England matches, four of those coming during those disastrous few weeks in France.

Now, after a friendly against Inter Milan in Oslo and four competitive games, Kane finds himself in the same position as last season.

He was not the only player in Trnava who looked off the pace and his struggles are merely the latest example of the dangers of playing too much football.

Experiencing an Under-21s tournament is useful but it becomes an issue if a player then has to play a full Premier League season with seven Europa League games.

Kane looks certain to start against Stoke this weekend before heading to Wembley next Wednesday to face Monaco in the Champions League — but he needs a rest.

At least he should score in his next match at the national stadium when England face Malta in a World Cup qualifier on October 8.

 The Englishman was one of the top strikers in the Premier League last season
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The Englishman was one of the top strikers in the Premier League last seasonCredit: Getty Images

Kane said: “As a striker I want to get goals. I didn’t score against Slovakia but I felt we all put in a good shift.

“I feel fine. It’s only my fifth game this season and that is including pre-season, so I am getting fitter every game.

“It’s a similar thing to what was happening last year. I think I was getting fitter and fitter as the games went on and that is how I am feeling now.”

He faces another long season. The final competitive game will be for England against Scotland in Glasgow on June 10 next year and a friendly in France is planned a few days later.

Kane also admitted the decision for him to take corners at Euro 2016 has become a standing joke in the England squad.

 Kane did not score until October last season
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Kane did not score until October last seasonCredit: Reuters

Roy Hodgson controversially asked him to take the set-pieces and it proved a disaster.

Allardyce has seen the funny side and the Spurs striker said: “We had a bit of a laugh and a joke with the manager about it.

“You have just got to laugh with it. Of course it was a disappointing summer but it’s football.”

 

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