Dominic Solanke is looking to haunt Man Utd when Tottenham visit today (Image: Getty)
Dominic Solanke has his eyes on achieving more than Harry Kane at – by leading the team to trophy success. The 27-year-old striker acknowledges that he can’t fill the shoes of his record-breaking predecessor.
However, he’s determined to justify his club-record £65million transfer fee in the best way he knows how – by finding the back of the net.
When questioned about the burden of taking over from Kane, Solanke confidently stated ahead of today’s match against : “No, not really. Harry is who he is. I don’t think anyone would want to see him replaced anyway. He’s a world-class striker.
“But I’m here now and I want to score as many goals as I can for and hopefully we can win some trophies.”
Solanke also shared that he received Kane’s well-wishes on the day his transfer was confirmed.
As expected, he was assured that was the perfect club to take his career to new heights. He recalled: “I actually saw him when Bayern Munich came here during pre-season.
“Harry came into the changing room and I spoke to him – we had a few words and he obviously only had good things to say about the club. It was probably just what you expect. But he spoke so highly about Spurs, how good the players and staff are here.”
Life at post-Kane has turned out to be less gloomy than initially feared.
Following his second goal in consecutive matches during the midweek 3-0 Europa League thrashing of Qarabag, there is a growing belief that Solanke can take advantage of ‘s shaky defence.
The ex-Bournemouth forward, who netted 21 goals last season for the Cherries, has made it clear that Spurs are heading to Old Trafford without any. fear.
He added: “Everyone knows how big of a club United is so it’s going to be a tough game. But we are not scared of anyone so we will go there and be on the front foot and hopefully we can get another result.”
was the key figure behind ‘s ambitious chase for Solanke’s signature, despite interest in . The Australian’s fervent defence of his star summer signing, given during a press conference last week, has clearly resonated.
Postecoglou criticised those who were “too quick to judge” Solanke, who has since scored two goals in as many games.
Responding to recent criticism, the Spurs striker, who missed games against Everton and due to an ankle injury sustained on his debut against Leicester, said: “Yeah, that was probably a bit premature after just a few games given the start to the season that I had.
“No matter how much you get bought for, what club you play for, there is always going to be pressure in football so it’s something we have to deal with, something we all know will be part of the game.”
‘s unyielding pursuit of glory isn’t the only thing driving Solanke – he still has dreams to achieve on the international stage.
Despite having U17 Euros and U20 World Cup winners’ medals to his name, Solanke’s solitary senior England cap dates back to a match against Brazil in 2017 – a situation he intends to change.
He stated: “It’s definitely something I’ll hopefully get back into. If you’re performing well for a club like , it’s certainly easier to make your way into the national team. So, my primary focus is – to score goals and win trophies here, but then hopefully I can also earn a place in the England squad.”