Tottenham progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday as Antonio Conte aims to bring silverware to the club for the first time in 14 years.
The 2008 League Cup was the last major trophy won by Spurs and the likes of Daniel Levy will have hired Conte with the intention of ending that barren run.
Conte’s impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been unspectacular but steady since taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo and there was plenty to admire about their 3-1 victory over Brighton in round four, not least the performance of Harry Kane.
After the game, the Italian piled praise on Kane’s display too but also shared his thoughts on the wider squad.
“Harry is a player who’s scored a lot in the past as a number nine, but I think what we can appreciate – me and also the whole team – is his attitude and commitment for the team,” he told his post-match press conference.
“We’re trying to improve the intensity, also during the training sessions. I think all these situations can improve the performance with all the players.
“For sure, I’m happy for him but I’m happy for the whole team. I’m happy for Son and Romero to come back into our team. It was important.”
Turning his squad into a solid, winning side was never going to be easy after they won just five of their opening 10 games, with nearly every player looking off the pace and out of sync with one another.
But the win over Brighton was already his ninth in all competitions so it was no surprise to hear that Levy has been full of praise for the former Chelsea boss.
In the build up to their clash on Saturday night, Robbie Keane spoke to ITV and revealed how highly Conte is thought of.
“I was speaking to Daniel Levy just before we came on air and he said that he is one of the best that he has worked with,” Keane said.
The former Spurs striker then revealed the four word verdict Levy delivered on Conte: “He said that he is very passionate, very emotional.”