Eagle-eyed Tottenham fans have spotted Harry Kane’s angry reaction to Tanguy Ndombele’s slow substitution in their FA Cup win over Morecambe.
Ndombele, Dele Alli and Bryan Gil were hauled off in a triple substitution by head coach Antonio Conte in the second half of Sunday’s third-round tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs trailing the League One side 1-0.
Ndombele angered the home support by choosing to walk off the pitch rather than sprint like his team-mate Gil.
The France international was booed as he left the field and further incensed the crowd by heading straight down the tunnel, rather than watching the rest of the match from the bench.
Kane was brought on as part of the triple substitution, along with Lucas Moura and Oliver Skipp, and Spurs fans have picked up on the striker's reaction to Ndombele’s antics.
In footage which has emerged on social media, England captain Kane appears to admonish Ndombele as he leaves the pitch.
Fans also claim defender Japhet Tanganga tried to hurry Ndombele up with time rapidly running out in the match.
TheSpursExpress wrote on Twitter: “Regarding the Ndombele substitution, there was a moment where Harry Kane literally had to give him a nudge to get him off the pitch.”
Conte’s substitutions would help salvage a 3-1 win for Tottenham, with Moura and Kane both scoring late on after Harry Winks had levelled the scores for Spurs.
When asked to comment on Ndombele’s petulant reaction to being substituted, Conte said: “I was so focused on the pitch and in football you have to be good to try to change opinions if someone is disappointed with you.
“It happened to me as well as a player with someone being disappointed in my performance.
“I think during the game you have to try the best solution to find something, especially I’m seeing that we are losing 1-0 and you have to try to change something.
“Especially when you have on the bench, players of top level. I decided to give a bit of a rest to Lucas and Kane, but if you can change the situation and you have this type of player.”
Ndombele's reaction is set to overshadow the victory for Tottenham, who will now face Brighton in the fourth round.
It remains to be seen whether Ndombele will still be at the club for that match, which is due to be played on the first weekend of February, with Juventus and Roma both linked with a January move for the midfielder.
Featured Image Credit: FA CupTopics: Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur, Football, FA Cup, Premier League