Harry Kane believes Tottenham 'family' will stay together as he urges side to 'go one better' next season

Having already created so many memories for his club there, Harry Kane couldn’t come away from the old White Hart Lane without his own memento. He managed to grab a dressing-room photo of himself and Hugo Lloris, and it was one of many images that showed the unity of Tottenham Hotspur right now.

It was also something that repeatedly and rather deeply came across on the last day at the stadium. Modern football may often seem so soullessly cash-driven, and Spurs have been victims of that an awful lot with how so many stars have left them, but what stood out on Sunday was how so many of those same former stars really felt the occasion; how there was such a bond. It was “special”, as Kane himself put it, and the current squad seem to specifically reflect it more than most of their predecessors.

The striker now feels it is that “family” atmosphere - and days like Sunday - that will keep this Spurs group together to ensure they avoid the fate of previous sides, and he said he would be “surprised” if the majority of the team aren’t still there next season. He also feels they will come back as an evolved group, who now know what it takes to win trophies, and does not think they will suffer the problems at Wembley that West Ham United have at the London Stadium.

“One-hundred per cent, [Sunday] shows what kind of group we are,” Kane said. “We’re a family on and off the pitch. We work so hard as a group and the staff, the manager… look, there’s not many better teams to be at around the world at the moment. We’ve got a very bright future, a great squad, a team that’s hungry to win and to learn and to get better. Of course, there are going to be rumours over the summer, but I think I’d be very surprised if most of us ain’t still here next season.”

Kane himself is, of course, one of the Spurs players most coveted by wealthier clubs and, despite signing a new contract in December, hasn’t really seen that speculation about his own future go away. That kind of speculation is only increasing for the team, for everyone from Dele Alli to Toby Alderweireld.

“There's a bit of banter now and then, but no-one really talks about it too much,” Kane said. “The manager is very good at just keeping us focused on training and matches. Of course papers and people are going to talk on social media and everything, but at the end of the day the most important thing is us on the pitch doing our job. To finish the way we did today will put us in good stead for the rest of the season, hopefully, and then next season as well.

“It is sad to see White Hart Lane go, it has been an amazing stadium for us - especially this season, being unbeaten.

“But we're going into bigger and better things, and the new stadium is going to be unbelievable. It just shows the progression the club is making. It's the next step for us. We've just got to next season go out and try and win some trophies, and go into the new season as proper title contenders and players who can win trophies.

“I keep going back to the family. Everyone just has a special connection here - the club legends that have gone past and walked out today, and the team we have got now and the staff and the manager.

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"It's a special bond and I don't think you always get that at clubs, that's why we've got to hold onto that, make that motivate us to hopefully be out there next year at Wembley lifting a Premier League together. That's got to be the next step, lifting the trophy and having celebrations like that but with a title or a cup. That's got to be our aim and we've got to use this as motivation to get there."

Kane also feels the day went perfectly, right down to the fact he was the last Spurs player to score there, securing a 2-1 win over Manchester United.

“It was unbelievable,” Kane said. “It was the perfect send-off. I'd been thinking all week about how it's going to go, I just wanted to make sure we win so bad. Of course I wanted to try and get that winner as well, and for it to happen how it did is just a dream come true. It was a perfect way walking around at the end with the families and everything - it just shows what this club's like. It is quite emotional but all for positive reasons.”

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Kane did dismiss concerns Spurs could suffer the issues in a different ‘home’ stadium as West Ham United have, saying the players have barely thought about, and insisting they can win the league even without the advantage of White Hart Lane.

“I think the way we play a different style to West Ham. When we're out there, we're going to try and play exciting football, press high like we do here and that should get the crowd on their feet. The crowd have always been good, even in the Champions League when we played at Wembley the crowd were fantastic.

“It was just our performances on them days weren't great. I am not too worried, I don't think the players are too worried. We're just excited to take the next step, take the next challenge and that is going to be even more difficult next year. Obviously a lot of top teams, the top six as we look at now, are all going to be fighting for that title again and it's been quite an achievement this year to finish second, but we've got to go one better next year.

"We finished obviously third last season, second this year - we've got to try and take that next step and try and finish first.

"Everything is heading in the right direction, but we've got to go out there and do it.