GARY NEVILLE insists Harry Kane has no excuse for not returning to Tottenham training as he attempts to force a move away.
The England striker went AWOL as he tries to engineer a switch to Manchester City.
Kane wants to leave trophy-shy Spurs this summer in a bid to win silverware, with Pep Guardiola desperate to land him.
The 28-year-old was due at Hotspur Way for a Covid test on Monday ahead of a return to training and will be punished for ‘breach of contract’ after failing to show.
And the situation was complicated further by Kane failing to return from a Caribbean holiday when instructed, meaning he is currently self-isolating.
Now Manchester United legend Neville has offered his thoughts behind the forward’s actions.
He told Sky Sports: “If Harry Kane was meant to report to pre-season training with Tottenham on Monday, then he should’ve come back.
“You can never advocate any player not turning up for training – it’s as simple as that.
“You’ve got to turn up and you’ve got to do your job. However, I’ve worked with Harry and I can’t think of a more professional footballer that I’ve ever seen.
“He does everything right, so he must be seriously annoyed. Something has happened badly that has made him do that.
“It still doesn’t excuse it for me. He should still have come into training, and you respect your team-mates.
“You still have to go and stand with them and sit in the dressing-room, but it’s clear now that there’s a collision course.”
Despite having three years remaining on his contract, Kane believes he has a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Spurs to leave this summer. But the North Londoners wholeheartedly refute this.
And Kane’s Monday no-show is said to have made Tottenham even more determined to cling on to him.
Spurs chief Daniel Levy, 59, insists he will not entertain any offer below £160million.
Neville continued: “They were on collision course already at the end of last season when Harry clearly felt something was happening and he’s taken Daniel Levy on.
“Not many do it, and not many come out the other side, but it’ll be interesting to see which clubs are involved.
“It looks like Manchester City, and they’ve clearly made a bid that’s not enough for Spurs. Harry thinks it is enough while Daniel doesn’t think it is.
“Hopefully they can come to a compromise but whether they do remains to be seen.
“If a compromise can’t be reached then it could get a little bit messy for a few weeks as Harry clearly wants to leave. There’s no doubt about that – it’s now there for everyone to see.
“It was there for all to see a few months ago, and I can see why.
“He wants to go on and win trophies and he wants to go and challenge for league titles.
“Are Tottenham going to do that? Probably not in the next two or three years – they haven’t done for the past 20-30 years barring one or two challenges.
Neville added: “He had to turn up at training, but there must be a massive reason behind the scenes.
“It all depends on what’s been agreed but I can only imagine Harry feels that agreement has been backed out of from Tottenham’s side.
“He wouldn’t do this unless there was something significantly wrong behind the scenes. It’s a big call to have to make.
“For the England captain to not turn up at his club, it doesn’t get any bigger.
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“Harry’s now got to get back in quickly and get running around that pitch with his team-mates.
“As much as he might want to leave, as much as he may feel hard done by, and as much as he’s annoyed with the guy making the decisions, he’s got to get back to his team-mates.
“They’re professional players who look up to him. He’s a massive icon at that club and in this country, so I feel he’ll have to get back into the group very quickly.”
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