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Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Ryan Mason does not think that UEFA Champions League qualification is needed to keep Harry Kane at the club, but it certainly is vital to Spurs’ platform.
Mason branded Spurs’ run-in — versus Blades, away to Leeds, home to Wolves and Villa then away to Leicester City — as “five cup finals.”
The North London outfit is in seventh right now but Everton could pass it by winning a match-in-hand. Spurs are otherwise insulated from teams below them and are six points behind fourth-place Chelsea.
[ THE RUN-IN: What’s the latest in the top-four battle? | Europa League race ]
The next step is Sheffield United’s visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (Watch live at 2:15 pm ET, on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
“The biggest priority at the moment for the players is the weekend,” Mason said. “That’s the priority. we can’t look past anyone, especially in the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur want to be competing on the biggest stages, we want to have something in place that allows us to do that. This weekend is a massive game for this football club.”
Many have pointed to the top four, Spurs only route back to the Champions League, as a necessity to keeping star striker Harry Kane. The striker’s recent post-award comments about wanting “team trophies” only served to reinforce that thought.
Mason doesn’t believe that’s the case, though hopefully he doesn’t have to prove that notion wrong.
“I don’t think so. Harry Kane loves this football club. That’s been proven over the last seven or eight years. He’s one of the best strikers in the world. Everyone knows that, we know that and I’d like to think Harry knows that as well. The most important thing right now, and our attention right now, is this weekend. We can’t disrespect any opponent and we can’t be investing our energy into anything else. That’s all I have to say on the matter. Our attention, Harry’s attention, the attention of this whole football club is on this Sunday.”
Mason knows Kane quite well. The pair have been co-workers since Mason retired and weren’t just Spurs teammates before that, going on loan together at Millwall.
Do you believe England’s best center forward would stay with Tottenham even if Spurs are outside the chase for one of football’s top team trophies?
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Mason: ‘5 finals’ for Spurs to save Europe hopes; Kane may stay anyway originally appeared on NBCSports.com