Pochettino: Harry Kane disappointed with his World Cup performance

The transfer window is still dark and full of terrors today, so let’s talk about something happier: Harry Kane. Specifically, Harry Kane is disappointed with his World Cup performance, despite scoring six goals, taking home the Golden Boot, and helping lead England to the semifinals.

That revelation was made by his manager, Mauricio Pochettino, who told the Evening Standard that after the World Cup ended and the England team had flown back home, Harry came back to Hotspur Way and spent about five hours talking with Poch and Jesus Perez about the tournament, his goals for the upcoming season, and his feelings.

“I congratulated him and he said, ‘No gaffer. I am really disappointed, I should have scored more goals!’ I said, ‘But you won the Golden Boot.’ He said, ‘Yes but gaffer, I’m disappointed.’ Scoring six goals and reaching the semi-finals was not enough.

“I love, love, love this energy and desire – that it’s not enough to be fourth in the World Cup or second or third in the Premier League. I love it when a player thinks like this and wants to come in and spend time with us after the World Cup, when all the people praise him and he’s a big star, but Tuesday he was there sharing time with us.

”That is so very Harry.”

That is indeed so very Harry. In fact, it sure sounds like the most Harry Kane conversation ever and I really want to believe that this exchange happened 100% verbatim:

Poch: “Congratulations on your World Cup, Harry.”

Harry: “No gaffer. I am really disappointed, I should’ve scored more goals!”

Poch: “But you won the Golden Boot!”

Harry: “Yes but gaffer, I’m disappointed.”

It’s a perfect distillation of why we all love Harry so much. He’s completely driven to do better, almost to a fault. And truth be told, sure he won the Golden Boot, but most would say that he didn’t have the World Cup that everyone thought he would. You can blame his late season injury, Gareth Southgate’s tactics, or the fact that England didn’t really have any creative playmakers on the team, but Kane was expected to be totally dominant, and he... wasn’t.

It’s also why I peg Harry to finally break that August scoring drought this season. I have a sneaking suspicion that he’s going to start this Saturday against Newcastle, and that he’s going to be extremely back on form. That’s just the way it is: he lets his disappointment drive him to better things. It’s extremely Harry Kane. Let that thought buoy you in these dark times.