(Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said he is not concerned about Harry Kane after the England captain’s penalty miss against France at the World Cup in Qatar earlier this month.
Kane had drawn England level with France in the quarter-final tie with a successful spot kick that saw him match Wayne Rooney’s record haul of 53 goals.
He then had the chance to make it 2-2 late on after Mason Mount was barged over by Theo Hernandez in the area, but blazed his effort high over the crossbar. England lost 2-1 to France.
Asked if he was worried about Kane’s mindset upon the striker’s return to Spurs, Conte told reporters: “No, honestly because we’re talking about a world-class striker.”
“In football, you can have exciting moments and you can also have moments where you are a bit disappointed because you missed a penalty, the second penalty, as the first he scored,” added Conte, who was part of the Italy squad that lost to Brazil on penalties in the 1994 World Cup final.
“But for me, when I was a player, I never missed a penalty because I didn’t take one. Never! Because I was a real disaster at it. But with a penalty, I lost a World Cup against Brazil and I think you live through this moment, and you are really disappointed.
“For sure, the first period you are sad, but then you know that you have to move on. Football gives you the opportunity to have other chances to enjoy football… Honestly, I am not worried about him. I saw that he is very well in these two days with us.”
Spurs, who are fourth in the Premier League standings, take on 10th-placed Brentford on Monday.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
