Harry Kane ‘went mental’ to fire up Tottenham team-mates at half-time against Ajax as tirade inspires barnstorming comeback
- Harry Kane gave a motivational half-time talk to fire up Tottenham team-mates
- The England striker was injured and played no part against Ajax in Amsterdam
- Sportsmail learned Kane ‘went mental’ to try and inspire them to a famous win
- It had the desired effect as Lucas Moura’s hat-trick sent them to the final in June
Harry Kane gave an inspirational half-time speech which challenged crestfallen Tottenham team-mates not to let their season end in a gutless whimper.
Spurs produced a brilliant comeback from 3-0 down on aggregate against Ajax to earn a place in the Champions League final against Liverpool on June 1.
A source told Sportsmail: ‘Harry was very passionate in there. He asked them, after everything they’ve been through this season, whether this was how they wanted their season to be remembered.
Harry Kane unleashed a half-time tirade to fire up Tottenham team-mates in Amsterdam
‘After that unbelievable night at Manchester City in the quarter-finals and how they came through their group, he said to them: “Is this how we want our season to end?”‘
Kane’s intervention worked, with Lucas Moura scoring a hat-trick on an unforgettable night for Spurs.
Kieran Trippier added: ‘At half-time, he came in going mental at us, because we can do better, which we all knew.’
Mauricio Pochettino, in contrast, kept his cool at half-time. The manager called on his players to draw inspiration from Liverpool’s brilliant comeback against Barcelona the previous night and stressed the importance of scoring the next goal.
Sportsmail learned the injured striker ‘went mental’ to inspire team-mates to a famous victory
Kane, who suffered an ankle ligament injury in the quarter-final first leg against Manchester City, is confident he will be fit to lead Tottenham’s attack in the final.
He is expected to start running on grass early next week, before progressing to twisting and turning exercises. If there is no sign of inflammation in the ankle, Kane could resume ball work by next weekend.
Midfielder Harry Winks is expected to be available for the final after surgery on a groin injury, but there are concerns over Jan Vertonghen, who sustained an ankle injury in the victory and left Amsterdam on crutches, wearing a protective boot. He faces a scan on Saturday to determine the extent of the injury.
England manager Gareth Southgate is keeping tabs on Kane and Winks’ progress as he finalises his squad for the UEFA Nations League finals in Portugal. Their opening match is against Holland on June 6, five days after the Champions League final.
Kane suffered ankle ligament injury in the quarter-final but is hopeful of being fit for the final
Southgate will name an extended squad on Thursday, with as many 12 players set to feature in the Champions League and Europa League finals.
He could be without a number of his stars until June 3 and, as well as including all those involved in European finals, he is considering a back-up list in case players drop out with injuries.
Meanwhile, BT Sport are expected to make the Champions League final free-to-air. They attracted a peak audience of 2.69million for Liverpool’s 4-0 victory over Barcelona on Tuesday evening and 2.4m as Tottenham beat Ajax in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
However, when Manchester United beat Chelsea in the previous all-English Champions League final in 2008, ITV attracted peak figures of almost 15m, while 19m watched United defeat Bayern Munich on the same channel in 1999.
Last year, BT streamed the final between Liverpool and Real Madrid on YouTube and they are expected to announce plans next week to link up with a streaming platform again.
BT Sport are to stream Tottenham vs Liverpool on social media to honour previous promises