Why It’s Vital Tottenham Ensure Harry Kane Does Not Suffer a Euro 2016 Hangover

Harry Kane’s 2015-16 season was pretty darn good for a 22-year-old. The Tottenham Hotspur striker confirmed his status as one of the division’s best and helped fire his club to a best league campaign since 1990, falling short in their title challenge late on but impressing immensely along the way.

Then came Euro 2016.

England’s dismal summer at the European Championship—uninspired in the group stage, knocked out in the last 16 by the far more assured Iceland—was a notable nadir individually for Kane. Heading into the new season, Tottenham’s coaching staff will be looking to do their part in ensuring it does not turn into a prolonged hangover.

It is tempting to view Kane as an unstoppable force in recent times. From his first substantial opportunities in the Spurs first team in 2013-14, via the name-making heroics a season later that earned him international recognition, it feels like he has rarely looked back.

In reality there have been some tough times in this period too.

The European Under-21 Championship last summer was not the youth-level swan song he hoped for as Gareth Southgate’s team struggled to create for their centre-forward. The three-month scoreless run that followed at the beginning last season—punctuated by a goal against Manchester City and a couple more for England—required him to show perseverance amid frustration and doubting voices.

What has carried Kane back to where he wants to be is not some ineffable force, but rather a simple, quiet self-belief.

Speaking to Spurs’ official website at the end of last season, the player explained:

After last season (2014-15) there was a lot of talk about if I could do it again but I always believed in myself, always knew I was capable of doing it again and getting better. That’s the thing. It wasn’t just about maintaining my form, it was about trying to get better and better. I’m glad I’ve done so and I’ll look to build on it again next season.

Not just about generalities, there is more specific logic underpinning it too. Take Kane’s approach to the aforementioned goal drought.

He did not grow hysterical when his failure to find the net extended beyond a few games; he continued to focus on doing the different aspects of his job. Be that coming off the bench and setting up Erik Lamela’s goal against Qarabag in the Europa League, or continuing to try his luck against Arsenal in the Capital One Cup.

A dream come true! ⚽️? #BPL #GoldenBoot pic.twitter.com/P6CAC2wCGv

— Harry Kane (@HKane) May 18, 2016

Things fell into place with a somewhat scrappy but no less valuable hat-trick away at Bournemouth at the end of October. Back …

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