Pochettino confident Kane will be mentally ready for World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino is certain Tottenham striker Harry Kane will be “physically and mentally” ready for England’s World Cup campaign after a difficult few weeks.

An ankle injury saw Kane’s season interrupted in March and, although he returned at the start of April, he has received a lot of attention since.

His claiming of a goal in Tottenham’s 2-1 win at Stoke City on April 7 saw him ridiculed as many suggested he did not get a touch on Christian Eriksen’s cross, with Spurs then successfully appealing to the Premier League to ensure their forward was credited with the strike.

He then produced a disappointing performance in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, leading to an official FA Twitter account mocking him with a video that suggested Kane had been in Chris Smalling’s “pocket” for the entire game.

Kane was reportedly upset with both incidents, but he struck again in Spurs’ 2-0 win over Watford on Monday and Pochettino sees no reason to be concerned about his mental state ahead of the World Cup.

 150 @premierleague appearances.
 105 goals. #COYS pic.twitter.com/2C9MJCtdcX

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 30, 2018

When asked whether Kane will be at his best for the showpiece in Russia, Pochettino told reporters: “Yes, of course.

“He’s a strong guy – physically and mentally. I am sure that, first of all, he will perform for us and no doubt he will arrive in very good condition for the World Cup.

“He needs to improve his performance still, but I’m happy – 150 games, 105 goals, what more can we say? He is a fantastic striker.

“It wasn’t a great period for him in the last few weeks, he’s human like anyone and a little bit affected, but with the help of everyone he’s doing well.”