According to the Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur know why Harry Kane has been misfiring so far this season.
The young forward enjoyed a remarkable campaign last term, bagging 21 goals in 34 Premier League outings and a further five in seven in the Europa League.
Kane’s form led to him receiving his first England invitation and, after scoring on his debut, the attacker looks set for a long international career.
However, this season, Kane has wholly failed to achieve the heights he managed last season.
The striker is yet to score in six outings in the Premier League, and despite registering a shots-per-game ratio of 3.5 (more than last season) he has appeared lethargic and somewhat short of the quality that saw him make such an excellent impression last term.
Tottenham are pointing the finger at England, and have accused the national side of abusing Kane.
Spurs, for example, insist that England should not have insisted on taking the forward to the U-21 European Championships last summer.
This foray meant that young Kane was unable to enjoy a rest during the offseason and, having made 53 appearances in all competitions for Spurs last term, is paying for a punishing schedule.
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“This is why last season, towards the end, we tried to explain that things for Harry Kane had been very, very hard,” Mauricio Pochettino began.
“Not only on the pitch, but off from the pitch as the pressure – he is a hero for Tottenham and England – was unbelievable in terms of the way that the people see him.
“It is not easy to recover because it’s not only physical or mental. It’s true that maybe the summer did not help him.”