Kane hopes hat-trick in Europe sparks goal rush in Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane said he did not expect to feature in Thursday’s 5-1 Europa Conference League victory over Slovenian minnows NS Mura but hoped his second-half hat-trick can swing his domestic form for the club.

Kane, who had been linked with a transfer to Manchester City in the summer before deciding to remain in London, is yet to score in the Premier League this season.

With Tottenham leading 2-1 through Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso, Kane marked his second-half appearance with a quick-fire treble — his 13th for the side — and looked forward to Sunday’s league game against Aston Villa.

“Every striker wants to score goals. I probably wasn’t expecting to come on today but it’s nice to get the minutes,” Kane told BT Sport.

“Whenever you see the ball hit the back of the net it’s a good feeling. Hopefully we can take it into the weekend. It was nice to come off the bench and score a few goals.”

Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said the game needed an injection of energy, which substitutes Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura provided.

“Today was important to perform the way we did,” he said. “A good result and this way we recover better and prepare for the next one better. A lot of positives.”

Tottenham have lost their last three league games and are 11th, three places below Villa.