- Aug 13, 2005
- 46,701
- 104,998
If anyone still questions how important he is to the future of this club then read these comments by Kane:
Obviously, when Mauricio Pochettino came in the following season, everything changed. Not just for me, but for the club. No one has had a bigger impact on my career than Mauricio, and that’s because he didn’t just bring a fantastic managerial philosophy to the club, he also brought us all very close together. He had an amazing career in his own right, but he almost never talks about it. As a manager, it’s never about him — it’s always about helping the players, whether it’s the best player or a player who is struggling. Of course, if you don’t want to work hard and you’re lazy … then he’s ruthless. That’s it — you won’t be playing and the door won’t be open to talk to him, either. But if you give him respect, and you work hard for him? He’ll give you all the time in the world.
One of my fondest memories in football is when I scored a hattrick a few seasons ago and Mauricio called me into his office after the match. At the time, I’d say we were close, but not super close. I wasn’t sure what he wanted. So I open the door … and he’s sitting there at his desk with a glass of red wine — probably a nice Malbec or something. Big smile on his face. And he waves me in and says, “Come on, let’s get a picture.”
So he’s got his arm around me, with his glass of wine in the other hand, and we’re taking a photo. It was brilliant. That was the first time I thought, Wow, this is a special person. He’s a fantastic, fantastic man. I respect him as a manager and as a boss, of course — but he’s really my friend outside of football, as well. He’s the reason why our squad has become so close — we’re genuine mates, and I think that’s rare in football nowadays.
Obviously, when Mauricio Pochettino came in the following season, everything changed. Not just for me, but for the club. No one has had a bigger impact on my career than Mauricio, and that’s because he didn’t just bring a fantastic managerial philosophy to the club, he also brought us all very close together. He had an amazing career in his own right, but he almost never talks about it. As a manager, it’s never about him — it’s always about helping the players, whether it’s the best player or a player who is struggling. Of course, if you don’t want to work hard and you’re lazy … then he’s ruthless. That’s it — you won’t be playing and the door won’t be open to talk to him, either. But if you give him respect, and you work hard for him? He’ll give you all the time in the world.
One of my fondest memories in football is when I scored a hattrick a few seasons ago and Mauricio called me into his office after the match. At the time, I’d say we were close, but not super close. I wasn’t sure what he wanted. So I open the door … and he’s sitting there at his desk with a glass of red wine — probably a nice Malbec or something. Big smile on his face. And he waves me in and says, “Come on, let’s get a picture.”
So he’s got his arm around me, with his glass of wine in the other hand, and we’re taking a photo. It was brilliant. That was the first time I thought, Wow, this is a special person. He’s a fantastic, fantastic man. I respect him as a manager and as a boss, of course — but he’s really my friend outside of football, as well. He’s the reason why our squad has become so close — we’re genuine mates, and I think that’s rare in football nowadays.