Chuba Akpom, a midfielder for Middlesbrough, praised former Manchester United player Michael Carrick after scoring his 29th goal of the year in the 3-1 victory over Hull City on Wednesday night at the Riverside.
Middlesbrough, who have improved significantly since Carrick took over as manager in October, qualified for the postseason with a come-from-behind victory over the Tigers. At the start of the second half, Boro, who had trailed 1-0 at the break but had been relentless at home under Carrick's leadership, exploded for three goals in the span of only six minutes.
After a goal from teenager Hayden Hackney tied the score and a goal from Cameron Archer made it 2-1, Akpom scored his 28th league goal of the year to seal the victory and became the first player in Championship history to score in nine straight home games. Under Carrick's direction, the former Arsenal youth has flourished and developed into one of the top performers in the division.
Carrick's achievements this season have been simply astounding considering that, prior to his employment, former Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder had not even given him a shirt number.
And while the 27-year-old keeps getting better and better, he has waxed poetic about Carrick, praising the influence he has had on his career.
Speaking to Sky Sports about his debt to Carrick after resuming his career, Akpom said: Massively. I think he's the manager I've been dreaming of my whole career."
"Honestly, he is a pleasure to work with. I go out there, give 110 per cent and I want to fight for the manager, as he has put so much trust and confidence in me and I really appreciate it. I had to dedicate that [goal] to the gaffer."
"Immediately, when he came in, he put me in the No.10 role and just gave me the license to roam around. If you see me on the pitch, I am just roaming from right to left, and he has given me that freedom to go out there and express myself.
"I appreciate that so much."
Meanwhile, The chairman of Tottenham, Daniel Levy, is adamant that Harry Kane can win a trophy with the team and has aspirations of erecting a statue of the forward someday.
Since his lack of any silverware continues to tarnish his otherwise stellar record, Kane has frequently been linked with a move away from the north London club.
Having smashed both records this season, he is already England's and Spurs' all-time leading scorer. With 273 goals overall for the team, including 206 in the Premier League, the striker is just two goals shy of Wayne Rooney's record.
Although Alan Shearer's 260-goal record is clearly within his grasp, his reputation will never be fully established without that trophy.
When questioned by the Cambridge Union if Kane must leave Spurs in order to win a trophy, Levy responded as follows: “He can absolutely win a trophy at Spurs."
“But being a legend is also important. The fact that he’s top scorer of Tottenham Hotspur – he’s making history.
“I hope one day that there is a statue of Harry Kane outside our stadium.”
This summer, Manchester United has been the primary Premier League club mentioned in connection with a transfer of Harry Kane. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also been mentioned.
Levy denied claims that he is the Premier League's toughest negotiator while also appearing to warn the Red Devils that luring Kane away won't be simple.
“I don’t consider myself a special negotiator or anything like that, I’m just acting in the best interests of my club,” said Levy.
“I think when it comes to the transfer it depends on the balance of power.
“If you have a player who you really don’t want to sell then you have every right to say no, you own the registration.
“It depends also on the character of the player, whether you feel at the end you can keep the player because we’re operating in a team sport, it’s very important that we keep the team together."
“Every circumstance is different," he explained.
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