Why Harry Kane Is the Player to Turn Tottenham Hotspur's Season Around

Harry Kane is scoring goals this season like it's going out of fashion. After three defeats in their last four Premier League matches, his Tottenham Hotspur side are languishing in 12th place and desperately need someone to fire them up the table.

Kane is the man to do it.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has largely confined the 21-year-old to European and League Cup appearances so far. However, with his fellow strikers misfiring, Kane will surely enjoy a run of league games in the coming weeks and bring the firepower his team have sorely lacked.

A brace for England's under-21s on Monday took the striker's incredible tally to 15 goals for club and country this campaign. 

As noted by James McGlade of 101greatgoals.com, Kane scored two in two minutes, first with a delightful finish dinking over the oncoming keeper, then bagging his second with a poacher's tap-in.

Why Kane has only played 190 minutes of Premier League football this season is mystifying.

According to Squawka, the Englishman boasts a shooting accuracy of 83 percent, significantly higher than Emmanuel Adebayor's 64 percent and Roberto Soldado's 43 percent. This has brought Kane a return of 10 goals for Spurs, more than double Adebayor and Soldado's joint haul of four.

The pair's profligacy means Spurs over-rely on Nacer Chadli. In fact, Pochettino has been fortunate the Belgian has produced such fine form this season.

Chadli's six goals comprise almost half of Spurs' league total this season, and with Kane firing on all cylinders, it's clear that he can provide the goals Tottenham have lacked.

The youngster certainly doesn't lack self-belief.

Speaking to Matt Barlow of The Daily Mail, Kane said:

"

I've always scored goals. I've always had confidence in my ability, that if the chances are there I'm going to take one. I've scored goals in schools football, youth football, professional football, for Spurs, on loan. I've always wanted to score goals.

"

The 6'2" hit man has the clinical edge Spurs have lacked this season, but he could also make an effective strike partner for Adebayor, should Pochettino decide to play a two-striker system. 

Adebayor's one saving grace this season has been his impressive chance-creation rate, laying on 14 goalscoring opportunities for his team-mates. Combined with Kane's prolific goalscoring form, Tottenham could quickly climb the table.

Harry Redknapp, who gave Kane his Spurs debut in 2011, has likened the striker to Tottenham great Teddy Sheringham.

Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast radio show, Redknapp said:

"

He's a little bit in the Teddy Sheringham mould. He hasn't got great pace but he is a very, very clever player and technically he is very good.

He is a bit like Teddy with that sharp mind. He's a fantastic footballer, he's got a great attitude and you couldn't meet a nicer lad.

"

A frequent criticism of Spurs this season has been their lack of passion and work rate. 

This has been noted not only by pundits such as Graeme Souness of Sky Sports, but Pochettino himself, according to John Cross of the Mirror.

The same cannot be said of Kane. 

He has won 54 percent of his duels this season, with only five Spurs players having won a higher percentage. Adebayor and Soldado, by contrast, have won only 41 and 33 percent respectively.

Speaking to Matt Barlow of The Daily Mail, Kane said "I don't want to stop training until every muscle is tired and aching."

According to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, Kane's presence on the pitch raises the desire and commitment of his team-mates. This will stand Spurs in good stead as they approach the Christmas period when games come thick and fast.

Tottenham fans have had little to cheer about so far this year, but Kane is rapidly establishing himself as a firm favourite and can bring the feel-good factor back to White Hart Lane.

After scoring against Brighton in their recent League Cup clash, Spurs fans could be heard singing "We all dream of a team of Harry Kanes."

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

A product of the club's youth system, he is now joining fellow Spurs academy graduates Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason and Danny Rose in the first team.

Installing him in the team would ease pressure on Pochettino and could reignite the fans' desire to cheer them on, as noted by David Hytner of The Guardian.

Born in Walthamstow, just a few miles from White Hart Lane, Kane can become what football fans love the most. A local hero.

Newcastle had it in Alan Shearer; Liverpool have it in Steven Gerrard.

Thanks in part to Kane's efforts in the Europa League and Capital One Cup, Spurs face a massive eight games in December, which could be an opportunity to rack up the points quickly or plunge Spurs' campaign into crisis, per Bleacher Report's Thomas Cooper.

However, with Kane's goals, work rate and passion reinvigorating his team-mates and fans alike, the local hero will be key to Tottenham's fortunes this season, and perhaps many more to come.