Tottenham's Erik Lamela: Why I'm backing Harry Kane to reach the top

Spurred on: Kane and Lamela have developed a great understanding on the pitch
Tom Collomosse17 November 2015

Erik Lamela has backed Harry Kane to reach the top because he will never grow too big for his boots.

Kane is expected to win his eighth cap for England against France at Wembley tonight, a rapid rise for a player who was Tottenham’s third-choice centre-forward a little more than a year ago.

Having been tipped for stardom from a young age, Lamela is used to the spotlight. He has also worked with many elite players for Boca Juniors, Roma, Spurs and Argentina, and he believes Kane handles the pressure as well as any of them.

“He has exactly the same approach to life as he did when I first met him, long before he became the player he is now,” Lamela told Standard Sport. “He has never changed, always putting in the maximum.

“That’s not the case with everyone whose career goes through the changes his has, and in my opinion, that is worth gold. I like the way he conducts himself so I’m really happy he is doing well, and I’m convinced he will continue to do so.

“He’s a strong guy, he’s always in the right place, he has ambition and he wants to win. That is very important. We’re almost the same age (Lamela is 23 and Kane 22) and I train with him every day so I know he is a very normal, down-to-earth guy.”

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Kane and Lamela have been important players for Spurs this season, contributing 11 goals and four assists between them in all competitions.

The Argentine is, however, suspended for Sunday’s derby against West Ham after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal on November 8. He is also carrying a knock that could rule him out of Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Colombia later today.

After two difficult seasons following his club record £30million move from Roma in 2013, Lamela is starting to find his feet in north London.

Yet although Lamela is improving, it is highly improbable he will ever fulfil the predictions made in his childhood. He was labelled a possible heir to Diego Maradona and, later in life, to Lionel Messi. Lamela is building a good career but he admitted: “Players like that are on another level.”

Indeed, Lamela is surely far more likely to face Messi in English football one day than he is to emulate the Barcelona superstar’s achievements.

Asked whether Messi might one day move to the Premier League, Lamela said: “If he wanted to, it would be a pleasure to play against him, or even with him. I’d rather play with him than against him!

“But honestly, I don’t see it. You never know in football, but he is very happy at Barcelona and I don’t know if he will ever change clubs.”

Lamela himself was on the brink of leaving Tottenham last summer, after the club held talks with Inter Milan and Marseille about his sale. He added: “It was never in my plans. It didn’t interest me. Sometimes it’s better to keep your head concentrated on where you are.”

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