Despite having spent only a year and a half there, José Mourinho will undoubtedly have left an indelible mark on Tottenham Hotspur. And this includes both the club and his players, on an individual basis. Starting with Harry Kane (33), who, in an interview with France Football, paid tribute to the Portuguese manager’s influence on his journey to the very top of world football… and his Ballon d’Or conquer.

Because when, a few years ago, Kane declared he wanted to reach the level of Cristiano Ronaldo (41) or Lionel Messi (39), Mourinho explained that he could help him achieve that. “And he did,” says the Englishman. “He was brilliant. He took my game to the next level.”

Before elaborating: “At Tottenham, he gave me a lot of freedom and allowed me to make the most of all my strengths. I feel I’ve improved year on year, even after he left. He clearly played a part in my development.” Having made 62 appearances under the ‘Special One’ between November 2019 and April 2021, Kane notably stood out with some impressive statistics (45 goals and 17 assists across all competitions).

“I had enormous respect for him, his personality and his attitude,” Kane continues. “I’m not like him in that respect, but I admired the way he worked and stood by his convictions. I learnt a great deal from him. He actually sent me a message of congratulations.”