Mauricio Pochettino says win over Ajax made him want to stay at Spurs

Mauricio Pochettino has given Tottenham fans a huge boost in the run up to next weekend’s Champions League final by revealing that Harry Kane is on course to play and that victory over Ajax in the semi-final made him feel as though he should stay at the club for years.

Kane is set to play against Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium next weekend, though Pochettino admits that he will be agonising over whether to start him or use him as a high-impact sub.

Pochettino said: ‘We are happy. We are going to assess him, like any other player: like Jan Vertonghen, Harry Winks. Of course, the most important thing is that they have the possibility to be available.

‘With Harry, Davinson Sanchez, Harry Winks and Jan, the evolution today is very good. We are so happy. We are working very hard. And then it’s going to be our decision to see if they are going to be available to play and if they will be available from the beginning or be on the bench and help the team.

‘Because the most important thing in a final is not always the starting eleven, maybe people from the bench come on and be the heroes. There are a lot of examples of this.’

Pochettino also opened up about his tearful post-match interview when Spurs knocked out Ajax in injury time at the semi-final, giving a strong indication that he sees his long-term future at the club.

Pochettino said: ‘There were two different feelings mixed in the same moment. Reaching the Champions League final is the end of an amazing chapter for the club. But at the same time, the moment that you reach the final, it’s like: “I want to be involved in the next chapter of the club.” It’s both feelings.

‘You always put yourself in five years’ time, 10 years’ time, or tomorrow. We need to be ahead of the players, ahead of the fans. Our responsibility is to create a project again, to engage everything, to be realistic and try to achieve something important for the club. The fan base we have deserves that.’

Pochettino broke down in tears after Spurs scored late to reach the Champions League final

Pochettino has always said he will sit down with chairman Daniel Levy, with whom he has a very close relationship, assess whether the club’s ambitions match his. But with Tottenham likely to move for Fulham’s Ryan Sessgenon, and showing strong interest in Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso and Ajax’s Donny van de Beek, Levy’s plans seem likely to satisfy Pochettino.

The Argentine manager also says that he knows that the outcome of next weekend’s final will determine how he is judged on his decision over whether to start with Kane.

Asked whether he could risk Kane, who hasn’t played since April 9th, he said: ‘You know, that is a point we’re thinking a lot about. It is a decision that, one way or the other. And it will be judged after the game. If we win, it’s a genius decision. If we lose: “Why did he not play?”

‘The big point is that we are going to take the best decision to try to win.. You know very well that if you win, football is fantastic, if not, you are going to kill me. But it’s only a decision, it’s not a good or bad decision. But I understand if we win: fantastic decision. If we lose: s*** decision. But it’s not good or bad, it’s going to be a decision. We are assessing the players and how they are going to arrive.’ 

Harry Kane is on course to feature in the final against Liverpool in Madrid next weekend