We value him so much – Ryan Mason hails Harry Kane’s all-round contribution

Tottenham interim boss Ryan Mason believes there are still elements of Harry Kane’s contribution to the team that are underestimated.

The announcer was about to announce a minute of added time in the first half when Kane found a cross from Pedro Porro and nodded to the eventual winner as Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 1-0.

Kane’s goal, his 209th in the Premier League, also put him ahead of Wayne Rooney and an absolute second in the all-time top scorer list.

Mason said: “Obviously we’re all going to talk about Harry’s goals and Harry, when he’s playing football matches, he’s going to keep scoring. We know that.

“But also that elite mentality, that example that he sets every day in and around the place, it’s great to be here. Because when you have people like that, they inspire you to be better and we value Harry, we value him so much at this football club.”

The England captain’s 28th goal in all competitions this season leaves him 51 behind perennial Premier League leaders Alan Shearer, who has scored 260 goals in the top flight.

“Harry is certainly a player who focuses every game on being the best version of himself every time he’s on the football field, whether it’s on the training ground or on game day. Hopefully Harry will keep playing and I’m sure he will. I’ll keep scoring.” Mason remained pragmatic when asked if Kane would break that mark, saying, “I don’t like to talk about the future because I know from personal experience that you can’t really plan either Far ahead in football and in life, and you have to be in the moment.

Saturday’s win was a muted affair, but enough to give Mason a first win in his second term as Spurs leader.

Roy Hodgson’s Palace, meanwhile, had a handful of chances and were saved by several good saves from Sam Johnstone, who has usurped Vicente Guaita as his boss’s first-choice goalkeeper in recent weeks.

The former England manager has been more open about Kane’s chances of surpassing Shearer, 29, saying: “I would expect it, you know his age, he has some good years ahead of him and doesn’t get injured very often. touch wood.

“I think the only thing standing between him and the record will be that he will avoid serious injury? Will he be able to play 20, 30 games a year? Will he get help from his teammates and play in a good team he used to play in?

“If all of these things happen, I expect him to absolutely break the record.”

Hodgson left Mason when asked if Kane was still viewed as an underappreciated talent to some degree.

He added: “You may be speaking for a group of football fans and football people that I don’t know. I don’t know who they are, I don’t know what they’re saying, but I can guarantee that none of us who work seriously in football, in what I call the football village, there are none of us who have done it has that opinion.”