Former Spurs Boss 'Proud' of Harry Kane's Success But Blasts Backwards English Youth Systems

Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has said that he is "proud" to have given Harry Kane his first start in Spurs' first team, but has insisted more work needs to be done in the Premier League to give young players a chance.

The 49-year-old was in charge at White Hart Lane during the second half of the 2013/14 season and would then go on to take charge of Aston Villa.

Having since taken up a role as one of the mainstream media's more popular football pundits, Sherwood revealed how Kane's success wasn't a foregone conclusion following a number of unsuccessful loan spells.

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"It obviously makes me proud," Sherwood told Sky Sports. "Every loan I sent him out on, not one manager told me he would make a Premier League player. He struggled to convince the Tottenham fans at first. One of their own? It makes me laugh every time I hear it.

"I am not having that it was a golden generation. They just needed a chance."

Sherwood also slammed the Premier League mindset that there is too much at stake to give young players a chance, an ethos which has seen the likes of Jadon Sancho and Chris Willock move abroad.

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However, the former Tottenham boss heaped praise onto England manager Gareth Southgate for offering younger players a chance to impress.

"Gareth is having to play them for England to prove to their club managers that they are good enough," Sherwood added. "It really should be the other way round, but it is England who have recognised that it is all about developing the individual at youth level.

"That's why I like the way that the FA have ripped it up and started again and are letting Gareth have carte blanche doing what he is doing because he is very good at it."