Pochettino says Kane will learn from goal-gate controversy amid criticism
Mauricio Pochettino defended Harry Kane, who was awarded Tottenham's second goal against Stoke City after successfully appealing.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted Harry Kane will learn a lot from his goal controversy after sparking backlash from rival supporters.
Two-time reigning Golden Boot winner Kane has been criticised after he was awarded Tottenham's second goal from their 2-1 victory over lowly Stoke City in the Premier League last week.
The England international striker appealed to the Premier League after the goal was initially awarded to Spurs team-mate Christian Eriksen, though the decision was overturned by the league's Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel.
Kane's appeal generated criticism online, with Liverpool rival Mohamed Salah – who tops the goalscoring charts by four goals – among those to respond to the contentious decision.
Speaking ahead of Tottenham's clash with champions-elect Manchester City on Saturday, Pochettino said: "Of course, he never thought that this situation would escalate, when he was so certain that he touched the ball.
"After the game Harry said he touched the ball with a shoulder, he told Christian. I think Harry is a very honest person, he's not going to lie about this situation. It's not a big issue for the team.
"It's normal that he was a little bit disappointed [by the response] because Harry and all our players have Twitter, Instagram and all those things and while Tottenham fans will have supported him, fans of other clubs will have killed him.
"People have opinions, but that is normal. He was disappointed because he never wanted to create this. Sometimes it can seem a simple thing, and then it becomes big and you can't stop it. That is what happened here. I think he is going to learn a lot from this you know."