Mauricio Pochettino has revealed how a deflected Harry Kane free-kick three years ago might have saved him from the sack.
The Tottenham manager was attempting to pick his favourite of Kane’s 103 goals for the club on Friday when he divulged how close he felt he was to losing his job before his 10th game in charge.
That was against Aston Villa on November 2, 2014, when Spurs were 11th in the table and 1-0 down with six minutes to play. Nacer Chadli pulled Tottenham level before Kane scored in stoppage time, with his free-kick hitting Nathan Baker and wrong-footing Brad Guzan.






Spurs went on to win nine of their next 14 league games and Pochettino, who had initially struggled after coming in from Southampton, believes he would have been on thin ice had Kane not saved him in those early days.
In picking that goal as his favourite at the club, Pochettino said: ‘Maybe I can find many other goals that were fantastic, but for me the goals are related to emotion, in the period you are living. 
'For me that goal was an amazing goal because it meant for us, for everyone, the possibility to stay here today.


We were in the first season at Tottenham and people on day one when I signed the contract said, “Ok maybe in a few months we have a new face in front of us”.’




Pochettino, meanwhile, admitted he is no closer to knowing when Danny Rose will end his eight-month injury nightmare.
The club say the intention is for Rose to resume training in the coming weeks, but Pochettino revealed he is still in the dark over when he might next be able to pick the England international, who injured his knee at the end of January.






Mauricio Pochettino has revealed how a deflected Harry Kane free-kick three years ago might have saved him from the sack.
The Tottenham manager was attempting to pick his favourite of Kane’s 103 goals for the club on Friday when he divulged how close he felt he was to losing his job before his 10th game in charge.
That was against Aston Villa on November 2, 2014, when Spurs were 11th in the table and 1-0 down with six minutes to play. Nacer Chadli pulled Tottenham level before Kane scored in stoppage time, with his free-kick hitting Nathan Baker and wrong-footing Brad Guzan.






Spurs went on to win nine of their next 14 league games and Pochettino, who had initially struggled after coming in from Southampton, believes he would have been on thin ice had Kane not saved him in those early days.
In picking that goal as his favourite at the club, Pochettino said: ‘Maybe I can find many other goals that were fantastic, but for me the goals are related to emotion, in the period you are living. 
'For me that goal was an amazing goal because it meant for us, for everyone, the possibility to stay here today.


We were in the first season at Tottenham and people on day one when I signed the contract said, “Ok maybe in a few months we have a new face in front of us”.’




Pochettino, meanwhile, admitted he is no closer to knowing when Danny Rose will end his eight-month injury nightmare.
The club say the intention is for Rose to resume training in the coming weeks, but Pochettino revealed he is still in the dark over when he might next be able to pick the England international, who injured his knee at the end of January.