Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez says striker Harry Kane is an inspiration to the rest of the squad.
The England captain made a hasty return from an ankle injury to lead Spurs to a 2-0 win over West Brom, ending a three-match losing streak.
It is no surprise that Kane, who became the club’s joint second highest goalscorer with Bobby Smith on 208, was absent for two and a half of those games as Spurs missed his goalscoring threat, creativity and influence.
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Sanchez says talisman Kane pushes the rest of the team on.
“He brings a lot to the team as a striker and as a leader,” Sanchez said. “Everybody was confident, we were good on the ball, we were pressing as a team. We needed to open the game in the second half and of course he was important for us in doing that.
“Harry Kane shows every season his importance. You can’t say anything else but the fact that he’s such an important player, a captain, a leader and a player who is pushing all the time, pushing the team to get higher. I can’t say any more about him.
“All of us can learn and he is one of the leaders, an example to all of us about how we can improve.”
With Kane out of the team, Spurs scored just one goal and even that was a 25-yard strike as they struggled to create opportunities.
They looked better against West Brom, showing intent, and Sanchez says they have to build on that display.
“Of course, we’ve been thinking about it, we’ve been working hard to change that and change our situation,” he said. “We know that it’s been difficult. We’ve been trying, we need more performances and to play like this more, you know.
“To enjoy our football, play quick, pass the ball around, to create the chances, use the opportunities to do it and then we need to carry on playing like this as a team.
“We have been having a lot of possession but it’s not just about possession, we need to create chances, we’ve been trying and we’ve been fighting to find a way. We are hoping to find something that we’ve been missing but the only way to get back on track is to make sure we carry on pushing each other.”
Baggies boss Sam Allardyce has ordered more defensive work on the training ground.
“Those goals going in, which could’ve been avoided, means my work on the training field driving into the players’ minds has to continue so it stays with them,” he said.
“They aren’t small mistakes that we’re making, but they’ve been enough to punish us.
“There has to be protection from the back four and goalkeeper first and foremost.
“We’ve proven that we can get in the box and create chances, but the whole team have to get better at defending and stopping the opposition from scoring.”
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