Tottenham manager Antonio Conte on Spurs and England striker Harry Kane's quality: "Harry is of the right age to show that he can be one of the best in the world, and also in history"; watch Aston Villa vs Tottenham live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
Thursday 7 April 2022 17:27, UK
Antonio Conte believes Tottenham are showing a new-found maturity in recent weeks and has backed Harry Kane to continue proving he is among the best strikers in history.
Spurs have recovered from a run of four defeats in five games earlier this year to win five of their last six in the Premier League, leaving them fourth in the table with their revived Champions League hopes now in their own hands.
The club's defensive lapses have dwindled in that time, Conte's side keeping three clean sheets in their last six league matches, while their improved form hit a new peak as they thrashed in-form Newcastle 5-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Conte said ahead of Saturday's tea-time trip to Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports Premier League: "We need to continue to play the way we are playing in this period, after hard work we have improved a lot. In the past, we won games but now I think I am starting to see the right maturity in my team, the right solidity, and also the right confidence from my players in every game to try to get three points.
"In this league, every game is very difficult but if you compare the past, my team has improved a lot and I now feel more comfortable to face the opponents.
"Having more days, more time to work with your players is important. Don't forget I came in this season in November, and did not have the same time as other coaches or managers, no pre-season to build my team with players I wanted to sign in the summer.
"There was a lot of difficulty, but despite this we have worked very well. It's important to have more time to spend with my team to improve other tactical and physical aspects in the mentality and analysis, to prepare for a game every six or seven days instead of two or three days. It's a total change, to be able to prepare well and accurately for games. That's another reason the team is improving."
Kane's return to form under Conte has yielded five goals and as many assists in that recent good run, taking his tally to 12 goals for the season - all but one of them scored since the Italian's arrival.
The England captain has won plaudits in the press for his recent performances, and when questioned about the scale of Kane's quality his manager said the 28-year-old still has time to position himself as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game.
"I think Harry Kane deserves an important position in the world of football," he said. "Harry is of the right age to show that he can be one of the best in the world, and also in history. He is already doing that, because he has scored a lot of goals for the club and for the national team, and he is their captain.
"He has the right age to consolidate and to be one of the best in the world and for sure, his role is not a typical role because he is a No 9 but can also become a No 10 because of his quality. He can put the ball wherever he wants, and we try to exploit this aspect and try to make the most of what he can do."
April 9 - Aston Villa (a), live on Sky Sports
April 16 - Brighton (h)
April 23 - Brentford (a), live on Sky Sports
April 30 - Leicester (h)
May 7 - Liverpool (a)
May 12 - Arsenal (h), live on Sky Sports
May 15 - Burnley (h)
May 22 - Norwich (a)
