‘I just wonder’: Shearer says a small part of Tottenham star may enjoy playing even more now Kane has left

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Alan Shearer has suggested that there may be a small part of Son Heung-min that may be enjoying playing for Tottenham Hotspur even more now that Harry Kane has moved on.

Shearer was speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast following the South Korean’s outstanding hat-trick in Spurs’ emphatic 5-2 win over Burnley at the weekend.

Son Heung-min has opened his account and staked a claim to be the replacement for Harry Kane with his stunning performance at Turf Moor. Of course, it comes after Richarlison endured a difficult start to the campaign following Kane’s departure in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham have made a brilliant start to life under Ange Postecoglou. There has certainly been no hangover following Kane’s move to Bayern Munich.

Shearer thinks Son may actually be benefitting from Kane leaving Tottenham

Some will be tempted to wonder what would have happened had Kane stayed and played in Postecoglou’s Tottenham side. But Shearer believes that others may have been able to raise their game because Kane has now gone.

And he suggested that Son may actually be one of those who has relished the challenge.

“Some of his goals at the weekend were brilliant. I just wonder if there’s a small part of Son that is enjoying more responsibility, enjoying becoming the main man,” he told The Rest Is Football.

“I think some players will enjoy that and like that and take to it. And it looks as if that can be the case with him, because he might feel freed up. He might feel he can get his personality out even more and do more things on the pitch because Harry is now gone.”

Of course, Son was promoted to the captaincy this summer. And you would imagine that Harry Kane would have been the man to have got that gig had he stuck around.

Son is relishing the role. And the likes of Cristian Romero and James Maddison have stepped up after being named as co-vice-captains.

That may have nothing to do with Kane’s departure. But there was probably an element of pressure on the Tottenham players to try and deliver for Kane given that there had been so much talk about him winning trophies.

There is a harmony and unity in this current Tottenham team that is surely going to take them a long way. And while Son will never admit that there are benefits to Kane leaving, there are probably some upsides to this new chapter for the club.