Soccer - Spurs boss Conte backs striker Kane despite poor form

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said Harry Kane is one of the best he has worked with despite his "strange" dip in form this season, backing the striker to get back to his best against Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend.

England captain Kane was Tottenham's top scorer last season but has only one league goal to his name this campaign, while Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scored his 17th in Thursday's 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

Conte, who took charge of the club at the start of November, said Tottenham are better off with Kane in the side and hopes Liverpool's visit on Sunday can spark a turnaround in the 28-year-old's form.

"If you compare what he did in the past, this is very strange," Conte. "But in my experience, before as a player and then as a coach, it happens. I played with important strikers who, for a long period, didn't score.

"But my judgement about them didn't change. I wanted to have them in my team also if they don't score. Because if you have Harry Kane in your team, you feel stronger. Harry is a world-class striker, he's one of the best I've had the pleasure to train.

"For sure Juergen (Klopp, the Liverpool manager) likes to have Mo Salah, but I like to have Harry in my team. He's an important player for us, and my expectations are very high that he plays well in an important game against Liverpool."

Tottenham, seventh in the Premier League, have not played since beating Norwich City on Dec. 5, with games at Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City called off due to positive cases at the London club and the Foxes.