Harry Kane 'will learn a lot' from goal appeal backlash, says Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino

Kane's successful appeal to the Premier League goals accreditation panel sparked a spectacular backlash

Mauricio Pochettino made it clear he had not advised Harry Kane about the appeal (Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane “will learn a lot” from the storm created by his controversial goal appeal.

The Premier League goals accreditation panel’s decision to award Kane the goal initially credited to Christian Eriksen in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Stoke put the striker on 25 for the season, four behind Golden Boot frontrunner Mo Salah of Liverpool.

It also unleashed a spectacular backlash, with Salah himself tweeting “Woooooooh really?” when he heard Kane’s claims that Eriksen’s free-kick had gone in off his shoulder had been upheld.

The internet was soon awash with photoshopped images of Kane ‘stealing’ other goals from the footballing archives and even non-league Gateshead couldn’t resist getting in on the act when they jokingly told supporters: “Our second goal at Tranmere Rovers last night has now been awarded to Harry Kane.”

Former England forwards Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker fuelled the furore with some sarcastic social media posts. “I wonder if they will give me the other nine I also scored but were not given?” Shearer mused, with Lineker adding: “I was only 10 yards away from Platt’s volley against Belgium if that’s near enough? Could yet be England’s leading scorer.”

Kane is hardly a controversial figure himself but the appeal gave the impression to some that Tottenham were taking too much trouble over an individual award. Spurs manager Pochettino countered that his player had simply not been expecting the appeal to have been so divisive.

“Harry is disappointed because he never wanted to create this,” he said. “Sometimes, it is a small or simple thing that becomes bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and you cannot stop it. That was what happened. He is going to learn a lot from this.

“Of course he never thought that this situation was going to go on to such big things when he was so, so, so, so certain that he touched the ball.

“It’s normal that he was a little bit disappointed because of course Harry and all of our players have Twitter, Instagram, everything. Tottenham fans will back Harry but other fans will kill him. People have opinions but that is normal.”

Pochettino, who does not indulge in social media himself, also made it clear he had not advised Kane about the appeal.

Pochettino said Kane had been left disappointed by the backlash of his appeal (Getty)

“It was a club decision, I wasn’t involved,” he said. “But I am sure Harry and Christian were agreed to do this. No-one said to me what was going to happen. The club believed it was right to appeal.

Pochettino backed Kane against allegations he had no right to claim the goal. “When you touch the ball, and you are right, it’s normal to say ‘I scored the goal’,” he said. “Harry is a very honest person and is not going to lie about that.”

Midfielder Harry Winks may not play again this season because of an ankle injury that has seen him travel to the specialist Aspetar hospital in Qatar for rehabilitation.

Left-back Danny Rose misses Saturday’s Wembley clash with Manchester City because of a calf problem.