Mauricio Pochettino is adamant that Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham Hotspur is not inextricably linked to winning trophies, claiming the England striker will stay for ‘a long time’.

Kane has emerged as one of the world’s finest forwards in the last couple of years, with his hauls of 25 and 29 goals winning him the Premier League Golden Boot in each of the last two seasons.

After a slow start to the current campaign, he found his range with a double at Everton and then followed that up with another two goals away to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Such sustained form at the highest level has seen him linked with moves away and, although he has a contract until 2022, former Spurs coach Tim Sherwood recently suggested that the club will lose him at the end of the season if they fail to win any trophies.

Pochettino certainly is not panicking about that just yet, though, the Spurs boss certain that Kane’s love for the club trumps any other desires.

‘Always people are talking about him winning trophies, that we have to win trophies for Harry to stay here with us,’ Pochettino said to reporters at his pre-match media conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Ham United.

‘But people recognise Harry’s value. He is one of the best strikers playing for Tottenham when still we don’t win any trophies.

‘But I tell you always, Harry is a player who loves Tottenham and is going to stay here. He is looking forward to staying here a long time.

‘I respect every single opinion. And of course Tim has the right to speak about Tottenham and Harry. But that is a question more for Harry on what he wants to do.’

Kane was the only English player named on the 55-man shortlist for FIFPro’s World XI on Wednesday, a feat Pochettino believes highlights his status as world class.

‘He is the only English player,’ Pochettino added. ‘I have told you that Harry is one of the best strikers in the world and this is the confirmation, and [shows] how people around the world see Harry. This doesn’t surprise me.

‘I think we have other players that maybe deserve to be on the list but they are not. But I think Harry deserves it. For me, Harry is one of the best strikers in the world.’

Dele Alli is arguably one of those players Pochettino felt was missing from the FIFPro list after his stunning campaign last season, but he has struggled to find top gear so far in 2017-18.

And after scoring the winner in Tuesday’s 1-0 EFL Cup win over Barnsley, Alli was shown celebrating by cupping his ears, an act which some interpreted as a show of petulance towards demanding Spurs fans.

Pochettino insists there was a reasonable explanation for the celebration, however.

‘It was a situation where he was referencing one fan in the stand,’ the Argentinian said. ‘Why would he need to prove anything? It was nothing related to us, the club or the fans.

‘It was only a joke with one fan in the stands. That is the truth and I believe it and yesterday he told me that. I think that is true.’

-This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za