Monday 22 January 2018 10:42, UK
Gary Neville paid tribute to "technician" Harry Kane before saying the speculation surrounding his future should be forgotten after the Tottenham striker scored his 99th Premier League goal in his side's 1-1 draw at Southampton.
Kane moved within one of becoming the 27th Premier League centurion when equalising on 18 minutes at St Mary's after Davinson Sanchez had inadvertently put through his own net three minutes earlier.
And Neville, speaking on the Gary Neville podcast, likened the England international's talents in front of goal to those of Alan Shearer and former Manchester United team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy.
He said: "If I think back through all the great Premier League goalscorers and think of say Shearer, who was ice cold and ruthless. You never saw him get emotional in a game.
"Van Nistelrooy was similar because he had that ruthless, clinical quality. You need that single-mindedness and Harry Kane fits into that category of being a great technician in front of goal.
"He's a brilliant professional. You can't say a bad word about him and he's absolute gold for a manager.
"There have been goalscorers in my time that I've seen that have got goals but you could sense the technique wasn't always perfect. They just had that poaching instinct but the technique of Kane, Shearer and Van Nistelrooy was absolutely wonderful."
I saw some speculation this week linking him to Real Madrid but I would forget all the speculation surrounding Kane in this next 18 months. Spurs are never going to sell him.
Kane, who scored his 29th goal of the season at St Mary's, is in demand if reports in the media are to be believed, with Real Madrid reportedly willing to break the world record transfer fee of £198m, paid by PSG to sign Neymar from Barcelona, in order to bring him to the Bernabeu.
However, according to Sky sources, Tottenham are adamant Harry Kane will not be sold this summer even if they receive a world record bid from Madrid, and Neville insists Spurs will stick to that as they embark on an important period in their history.
"I saw some speculation this week linking him to Real Madrid but I would forget all the speculation surrounding Kane in this next 18 months. Spurs are never going to sell him.
"It's the same with Dele Alli and Mauricio Pochettino will also not be allowed to leave during this period when there's a new stadium coming.
"It's such an important period in the club's history that they need to make sure they go into that stadium with a good feeling.
"And the idea of your best two players, idols with the fans and also the manager, who is loved at Tottenham, leaving, it's not going to happen and that's a good thing for Tottenham."
