Harry Kane upset at backlash after winning goal appeal for Stoke strike to be overturned
Boss Mauricio Pochettino defends the England star following criticism as he is credited with scoring winner at Stoke
HARRY KANE is upset at the backlash for winning his fight to be credited with Spurs’ clincher at Stoke last week.
He was delighted to be awarded the goal on appeal after it was initially given to Christian Eriksen.
But fellow pros, pundits and fans have slammed the England striker over his obsession with retaining the Golden Boot.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “Harry is disappointed because he never wanted to create this.
“For you, sometimes, it is a small or simple thing and they become bigger and bigger and you cannot stop it. That’s what happened.
“He is going to learn a lot from this.”
The row has left the clean-cut Three Lions poster boy, 24, caught in a storm for the first time in his career.
The decision to award Kane the goal at Stoke means he now has 25 league goals this season.
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At first glance Eriksen’s free-kick last Saturday appeared to find the net without a touch by Kane.
But the star celebrated like he had scored and — when the goal had been credited to Eriksen — he even swore on his baby daughter’s life that the Dane’s delivery brushed his shoulder on its way in.
Now after his appeal victory, Kane is just four goals behind Liverpool’s Mo Salah in the Golden Boot race — which the Spurs ace has won for the last two seasons.
Moments after the Prem revealed they had awarded Kane the goal, the Kop’s Egyptian star tweeted: “Woooow. Really?”
The message was soon deleted but England legends like Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker continued to ridicule the ruling.
Poch admitted: “Harry never thought this situation was going to go on to such big things when he was so, so, so, so certain he touched the ball.
“It’s normal he’s a little bit disappointed because players have Twitter, Instagram, everything.”
It is not known if Kane, widely considered to be underpaid at Spurs on a basic of £120,000 a week, gets a bonus or a pay rise for finishing the season as the Premier League’s top scorer.
Eriksen would not have been happy at losing the goal but Pochettino denied it had caused a dressing-room rift.
He said: “It is not a big deal. I promise you. Harry always puts in front the collective before himself.”
Spurs host Manchester City on Saturday and Poch urged home fans not to boo Kyle Walker.
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The right-back returns for the first time since joining City last summer.
Poch said: “The fans feel disappointed he decided to move to City.
“But Kyle did a lot for us. Our relationship is good and he deserves a good reception.”