Mauricio Pochettino: 'Harry Kane should not take corners'

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has questioned former England manager Roy Hodgson's decision to use Harry Kane to take corners at Euro 2016.

The 23-year-old finished last season as the Premier League's top scorer but was consistently deployed to take free kicks and corners by Hodgson during England's ill-fated four-game spell at the tournament.

Asked if he could fulfil a similar role at Spurs, Pochettino told The Sun: "No. No. No. I don't want to criticise but Harry is a top scorer – so why would you make him take the free kick or corner if the skill of Harry is to score?

"You need to stay into the box, not outside. This is my idea."

Pochettino also admitted that he was "very surprised" that Kane bore the brunt of England fans' anger after the side crashed out to Iceland in the last 16.

"There was no reason for it. No reason at all," he said. "Always when you are disappointed with the result you try to find a reason why and the guilty. But for me, Harry Kane was in the same lineup as the other players. Some good, some bad.

"It was not just his responsibility. In football you need to share responsibility. For me it is the manager first, the coaching staff and then the players. The responsibility is not just down one player."

Spurs are currently en route back from their pre-season tour of Australia ahead of their final warm-up game against Inter in Norway this Friday.