Jamie Vardy has now scored 94 Premier League goals since turning 30, surpassing the previous record.

Vardy, who had been ruled out with a hamstring injury since Leicester City's win over Liverpool on December 28, returned to the matchday squad for their trip to Turf Moor on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old came on as a second-half substitute and, after assisting James Maddison's opener, wrapped up a 2-0 win - Leicester's first league victory of 2022 - when he headed home from Harvey Barnes' cross.

He has now surpassed Ian Wright's tally of 93 Premier League goals after hitting the age of 30, and also both scored and assisted after coming on as a substitute for the first time in his top-flight career.

"He's just clever," Brendan Rodgers said, as reported by BBC Sport Leicester. "His game knowledge and idea of the game, the streetwise things, [they] are the things we’ve been missing [in his absence]. 

"His movement was electric, his running brings others into the game."

Since his Premier League debut in August 2014, Vardy has been directly involved in 168 goals in the competition, scoring 128 times and providing 40 assists. His haul is bettered only by his former England team-mate Harry Kane during that time, with the Tottenham man tallying up 207 Premier League goal contributions. 

Tottenham became the second high-profile scalp in as many FA Cup rounds for Middlesbrough as Chris Wilder's men won 1-0 after extra time to secure passage to the quarter-finals.

Boro academy graduate Josh Coburn was the hero, firing home superbly in the second half of the additional 30 minutes after coming on as a substitute. 

Antonio Conte's men were hoping to avoid the fate suffered by Manchester United last month, but Spurs ultimately paid the price for their wastefulness as the hosts claimed a memorable victory.

Flashpoints were few and far between in the first 45 minutes, but the contest did generally improve after the interval, with Harry Kane scoring only to see his tap-in disallowed for a foul.

Both sides were indebted to their goalkeepers as the game went to extra time, and Middlesbrough were rewarded for their greater endeavour as teenager Coburn landed the decisive blow.

A low-quality first half provided very little to get excited about until 40th minute when goalkeeper Joe Lumley was beaten to the ball out wide as he flew out of his area, but Matt Doherty miscued his eventual effort as he shot over the empty net.

It was hardly the precursor to a second-half onslaught, however, with Boro the next to go close in the 53rd minute through a free Matt Crooks header that went over.

Spurs finally tested Lumley just before the hour, the goalkeeper preventing Eric Dier's 30-yard free-kick from finding the top-right corner, and Kane had a goal disallowed from the resulting corner after tugging a defender's shirt.

Chances began to flow for both sides towards the end of regulation time, with Paddy McNair's last-ditch challenge denying Steven Bergwijn, while Lumley and Hugo Lloris made crucial saves from Isaiah Jones and Son Heung-min, respectively.

Extra time beckoned and not only did Boro look sharp at the back, they carved Spurs open with 107 minutes played, Coburn smashing beyond the helpless Lloris.

Amine Gouiri put Nice in sight of a first Coupe de France triumph for 25 years as Christophe Galtier's team reached the final with a 2-0 win over minnows Versailles.

France Under-21 forward Gouiri eased nerves inside the Allianz Riviera when he drilled Nice ahead with a sharp finish in the 48th minute.

Gouiri had chances to extend the home team's lead, before he laid on the chance for Kasper Dolberg to rattle in the second goal.

Nantes or Nice's neighbours Monaco await in the final, which will be played on May 8 at the Stade de France.

Nice last won this cup in 1997 but have already eliminated Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille in this season's competition and fourth-tier Versailles were understandably conservative in their approach.

Khephren Thuram headed inches over the bar after a left-wing corner from Calvin Stengs picked him out at the near post.

Stengs had a shot from 12 yards well blocked after working the chance well with Gouiri on the left, before Diego Michel trickled a low shot wide at the other end.

Thuram had another great chance after Stengs, this time from the right, clipped in a cross that he could headed straight at goalkeeper Dan Delaunay.

Gouiri threatened early in the second half but took a heavy touch and the chance went, yet within a minute he had another opening, controlling Jordan Lotomba's cross right-wing cross and finding the top-right corner from 12 yards.

Gouiri was denied by Delaunay and then saw another shot deflect wide but Nice's insurance goal came in the 73rd minute when substitute Dolberg lashed into the bottom-left corner.

Evann Guessand struck the crossbar amid a late Nice flurry, as they eased into their first Coupe de France final in 25 years.

Amine Gouiri put Nice in sight of a first Coupe de France triumph for 25 years as Christophe Galtier's team reached the final with a 2-0 win over minnows Versailles.

France Under-21 forward Gouiri eased nerves inside the Allianz Riviera when he drilled Nice ahead with a sharp finish in the 48th minute.

Gouiri had chances to extend the home team's lead, before he laid on the chance for Kasper Dolberg to rattle in the second goal.

Nantes or Nice's neighbours Monaco await in the final, which will be played on May 8 at the Stade de France.

Nice last won this cup in 1997 but have already eliminated Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille in this season's competition and fourth-tier Versailles were understandably conservative in their approach.

Khephren Thuram headed inches over the bar after a left-wing corner from Calvin Stengs picked him out at the near post.

Stengs had a shot from 12 yards well blocked after working the chance well with Gouiri on the left, before Diego Michel trickled a low shot wide at the other end.

Thuram had another great chance after Stengs, this time from the right, clipped in a cross that he could headed straight at goalkeeper Dan Delaunay.

Gouiri threatened early in the second half but took a heavy touch and the chance went, yet within a minute he had another opening, controlling Jordan Lotomba's cross right-wing cross and finding the top-right corner from 12 yards.

Gouiri was denied by Delaunay and then saw another shot deflect wide but Nice's insurance goal came in the 73rd minute when substitute Dolberg lashed into the bottom-left corner.

Evann Guessand struck the crossbar amid a late Nice flurry, as they eased into their first Coupe de France final in 25 years.

Neither Milan nor Inter could establish a lead in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tie, as the Serie A title contenders played out a goalless draw at San Siro.

Rafeal Leao caused problems for Inter in a match where chances were at a premium, but the Rossoneri were unable to make their superiority count against their out-of-form city rivals.

With Italy's domestic cup not following UEFA's example of removing the away goals rule, however, the stalemate will certainly be more kindly looked upon on the red side of Milan, who are level on points with Napoli at the top and two ahead of Inter in a fierce race for the Scudetto.

Alexis Saelemaekers tested Samir Handanovic during a frantic start after the stadium observed a heartfelt message from Milan's Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko, who scored in their last Coppa Italia final win in 2003.

Milan's Theo Hernandez shot wide after a trademark burst forward, while Alessio Romagnoli denied Inter with a superb defensive header on 20 minutes before limping out of the contest injured.

Stefano Pioli's men enjoyed the better of the first period, with Rade Krunic shooting over from a great position and the lively Leao troubling Inter in an otherwise uninspiring opening 45 minutes.

Phil Foden was inspired by Lionel Messi in his assist for Jack Grealish at Peterborough United, according to the Manchester City goalscorer.

Foden assisted both goals in City's 2-0 FA Cup win on Tuesday as they reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the fifth time in six seasons under Pep Guardiola.

A pass under pressure to Riyad Mahrez led to the breakthrough on the hour mark, but Foden's ball for Grealish really caught the eye.

His pinpoint delivery was controlled expertly by Grealish, who finished calmly before revealing time spent watching clips of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Messi had helped the pair.

"[The pass was] unbelievable," Grealish told ITV.

"It's funny – before the game, on the coach on the way here, I sit next to Phil, and I was scrolling through Twitter and a video of Messi came up, and it was Messi's passing. Me and Phil were just watching it.

"As soon as he passed that ball, obviously I scored and he came running over to me and said, 'It was just like what we were watching before the game'. Just like Messi, wasn't it?

"Obviously I have that kind of link-up with Phil. It's been a long time coming, because I don't think he's assisted me yet, but it was a good moment for myself."

The goal was Grealish's first in the FA Cup and only his fourth in a City shirt, although Guardiola had spoken before the match of disregarding "the statistics" when it came to his £100million man.

That theme has clearly been consistent in conversations between player and coach, although Grealish finished with a game-high five chances created.

"I expect more," he said. "I want to get a lot more, but I've been speaking with the manager a lot recently and he's been helping me.

"I want to get goals and assists, but he has said to me it's not all about goals and assists. I've played in a lot of big games this season that the manager's trusted me in that I haven't scored or assisted in, but I feel like I've done alright.

"For me personally, obviously I do want to get more goals and assists, but hopefully that will come now for the big part of the season."

Manchester City made hard work of a 2-0 win at Peterborough United to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Premier League leaders City named a strong side – captained by Oleksandr Zinchenko in a show of solidarity with Ukraine – but toiled against the Championship strugglers.

The Posh had the game's clearest opportunities up until the hour mark when Phil Foden took control of proceedings, teeing up both Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish to take the tie away from the home team.

It was reward for City's perseverance, having piled on the pressure from the outset on a patchy Peterborough pitch.

The best chance of the first half came at the other end when Jeando Fuchs got in behind Nathan Ake and saw a low, deflected effort touched around the post by Ederson.

And Sammie Szmodics really should have fired Peterborough in front early in the second period but scuffed horribly wide when the ball fell his way from a long throw.

City were far more clinical when they finally crafted an opening, as Mahrez spotted a gap between the legs of defender Hayden Coulson and squeezed his shot into the bottom-left corner.

Mahrez might have added a swift second when Josh Knight blocked bravely, yet it was only a temporary reprieve for the Posh, who had no answer for Foden.

The England midfielder's sharp pass under pressure found Mahrez for the opener, but he had time and space to lift his head and seek out Grealish for the second – sublime control followed by a cool finish.

Still Peterborough did not give in, and Ederson had to save well from Jack Marriott, although City were comfortable at 2-0 and could have had more – Foden and Grealish each denied before Aymeric Laporte missed an open goal – as they advanced to the last eight for the fifth time under Pep Guardiola.

The Miami Heat have surged to the top of the Eastern Conference but will receive a stern test of their credentials on Wednesday when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Miami went 9-1 in February to take a two-game lead atop the East, capping a stunning month by routing the Chicago Bulls 112-99 on Monday.

Milwaukee sit two games further back but will be out to prove it is they who are the team to beat as the Bucks aim to successfully defend the NBA title.

The Bucks will not be facing a full-strength Heat team, with Kyle Lowry out for personal reasons and Victor Oladipo absent with a right knee injury.

Being slightly undermanned has not proven an issue for the Heat of late, yet it may be different against the Bucks and their two-time MVP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo used the month of February to deliver a scarcely needed reminder of why he is arguably the finest basketball player on the planet.

However, having made the NBA Finals two seasons ago, the Heat have shown they can deliver against top-tier opposition.

The Bucks, though, have been a thorn in Miami's side, sweeping them in the first round en route to the title last season, and this encounter may provide an insight into whether the Heat, who have won two out of their meetings with Milwaukee this season, can cause the defending champions serious problems in the postseason.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Miami Heat - Bam Adebayo

No player was more crucial to the Heat's scorching run in February than Adebayo. He led Miami with 22 points per game last month and was fifth in the league in average plus-minus with 12.6. Adebayo was tied 10th in steals per game (1.73) and defensive rebounds (8.2) and ended the month ninth in blocked shots per game (1.55), illustrating his substantial value on the defensive end.

Milwaukee Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Bucks have depth that gives them an excellent chance of repeating as champions but, when it comes to games against the elite, all eyes must be on Antetokounmpo.

He took his game to another level in February, averaging 51.3 points/assists/rebounds per game. Only Luka Doncic (53.8) fared better last month.

KEY BATTLE - Can Heat keep possession?

Miami have thrived this season despite often being lackadaisical in possession.

The Heat's turnover rate of 13.5 per cent is the fourth-highest in the NBA and they are facing a Bucks team whose rate of 12.1 per cent is superior to the league average of 12.5.

In other words, if the Heat want to stay hot against one of their main rivals in the East, they must flip the script and take better care of the ball.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bucks are looking to continue a recent run of dominance in home games with the Heat, having won the last three meetings in Milwaukee.

Dusan Vlahovic will always be grateful to Fiorentina and is calm ahead of his first return to Florence, according to Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

The Serbia international joined Juve for an initial €70million free in January, bringing an end to a three-and-a-half-year stay at Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Vlahovic had previously turned down the offer of a new contract with Fiorentina, forcing the club's hand somewhat as he had just 18 months to run on his existing deal.

After reportedly rejecting proposals from Premier League sides Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle United among others, Vlahovic instead opted for Serie A rivals Juventus.

Having also lost Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa to Juve in recent years, Vlahovic's choice of club did not go down well with Fiorentina's devoted supporters.

The forward's home is reported to have been under surveillance in the days leading up to the transfer, while some fans took to the streets to protest.

And in an open letter published in January, Fiorentina fans labelled Serie A top scorer Vlahovic "a coward" for joining Juve.

Ahead of Wednesday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg, Fiorentina released a statement asking their fans to avoid derogatory and racist chants aimed towards the striker.

Allegri did not confirm whether Vlahovic would start against his former side, but he expects the 22-year-old to perform well regardless of the reception he receives.

"I believe in the intelligence and culture of the Florentine fans," Allegri said at Tuesday's pre-match news conference. 

"Vlahovic will always be grateful to everyone in Florence, society and the environment, who raised him and allowed him to arrive at Juventus. 

"He is calm. It's normal. He's a 22-year-old boy who returns to an environment where he grew up and gave him the opportunity to go to Juventus. 

"It is normal there is emotion. For him it will still be a particular match, but it is serene and so he must remain calm, otherwise he would never play against Fiorentina again.

"There are steps to be taken for the boy to mature."

Vlahovic matched Cristiano Ronaldo's high mark of the past 60 years in scoring 33 Serie A goals in a single calendar year when doing so in 2021.

He has carried that form with him to Turin, his four goals at least three more than any Juve team-mate since his debut against Verona on February 6.

Indeed, Vlahovic scored the fastest debut goal in Champions League history last week with his strike just 32 seconds into the 1-1 last-16 first-leg draw with Villarreal.

Should he score again in midweek, Vlahovic would become the third player in Europe's top five leagues after Dodi Lukebakio (Wolfsburg) and Gaetan Laborde (Montpellier) to net for and against any one team in all competitions this season.

While Allegri is pleased with the Serbia international's instant impact, however, he accepts there is room for improvement in other departments, with Juve winning just one of their past four games.

"We need to improve something else," he said. "We have conceded very avoidable goals, and it means that after scoring and everything seems to be done, we relax a bit. 

"In the last few games, we slept on goals, so we need to reactivate our attention, because when we lose fear, we become dangerous; not perceiving danger becomes a problem. 

"We could have conceded goals but not in those situations. From now until the end of the season, conceding few goals means reaching the top four."

Rio Ferdinand has questioned whether Manchester United can be considered serious Premier League title contenders with Harry Maguire starting regularly at centre-back.

Maguire, a reported £80million signing from Leicester City in 2018, has struggled for consistency in his third season at Old Trafford.

He has started 27 games for United this term – a tally bettered only by Bruno Fernandes (32) among outfield players – but was benched for Saturday's stalemate with Watford.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick put that down to fitness reasons, but Ferdinand does not believe the United captain's strengths are suited to the German's style of play.

Speaking on his 'Vibe with Five' YouTube show, Ferdinand said: "Is Maguire going to enable you to win the league? That's a question.

"The thing about someone like Ralf Rangnick and all the top teams now is when they play, they play on the front foot and want to win the ball high.

"Liverpool do it tremendously well, Manchester City do it really well, Bayern [Munich] do it. Three of the best teams on the planet and everyone is going that way of playing. 

"Rangnick's style is like that. Can you do that with Maguire? That’s my problem, my issue. His pace doesn't allow for that, he's always going to be looking over his shoulder."

United have a 57 per cent win return in the 21 Premier League games Maguire has started this season, which drops to 17 per cent in the six games he has not started.

However, the Red Devils concede fewer goals on average in the competition without Maguire in the side – one per game compared to 1.3.

Maguire may return for Sunday's derby showdown with Manchester City, but Ferdinand believes his deficiencies will continue to pose a problem for United.

"If I'm a quick centre-forward or a quick attacker, I would be hanging around where Maguire is," said Ferdinand, who spent 12 years at Old Trafford during his playing career.

"For all the good traits he has in his game, that is a big weakness and that is a fundamental of all the top teams, to play one-versus-one on the halfway.

"You have to be able to do that. Top teams, top players can do that. Jaap Stam – leave him on the halfway line, not a problem. Virgil van Dijk, leave him on halfway, no problem.

"For Maguire, long-term, unless he can find an extra yard of pace it's going to be difficult for him."

Antonio Conte insists his outburst following Tottenham's recent loss to Burnley was "strategic" rather than emotional as he reiterated his commitment to the Premier League side.

The 52-year-old appeared to question his own future after last week's 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor when stating he was "not good enough" to fix Spurs' problems.

Conte, who signed an 18-month contract with Tottenham in November, later took aim at his squad on the back of a fourth defeat in five league matches.

That led to reports that the Italian could be heading for an early exit from Spurs, but he backtracked on those comments ahead of Saturday's 4-0 win at Leeds United.

Conte has now further explained his remarks, admitting there is a specific intention behind what he says in news conferences.

"I think that you have to understand when there is a strategy or not and not only an emotional moment," he said.

"It is not right to stay here and explain why I talk in a way and after three days I spoke in another way. 

"Maybe I can explain to you, every time we have a press conference there is a strategy behind it, not an emotional moment.

"I understood that was the right moment, after four defeats in five games and winning the game against Manchester City three days ago, to send the right message, a clear message to myself, the club and also the players.

"We have to know we are here to enjoy football, at the same time to improve ourselves, to ask to ourselves for 100 per cent commitment and desire and also to underline that a team like Tottenham does not exist to lose four games in five.

"If someone understood that my words were from an emotional moment, no. In that moment I sent a specific message to the whole environment and it has happened in the past, when I want to push the situation and the environment in the same direction, because I am seeing we can do better, it is not because it is an emotional moment, it is because there is a strategy behind it.

"Maybe I can explain to you, every time we have a press conference there is a strategy behind it, not an emotional moment."

Tottenham moved back up to seventh with their morale-boosting victory at Elland Road, five points off fourth-placed Manchester United with two games in hand.

Spurs switch focus to the FA Cup on Tuesday with a fifth-round tie away at second-tier side Middlesbrough, who eliminated United on penalties in the previous round.

The north London side have not reached the quarter-finals of the competition since 2017-18 and have not won any silverware since lifting the EFL Cup in 2008.

Conte has made clear that he intends to win at least one trophy during his time with Spurs, but he accepts he has a big task on his hands with Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool still involved.

"For sure it's a big challenge for me, for my players because maybe you start this tournament as underdog," said Conte, who has lost only one of his 11 domestic cup matches against sides from a lower division (W8 D2).

"But at the same time you know when you arrive to play this game and you know that there are only four games to reach the final and you start to feel the possibility to see the target, to see the goal close to you and then for this reason we have to try to push ourselves to go ahead in this competition and to try to create problems for the team that usually at this moment they are favourites to win this trophy."

Including replays, Tottenham have never lost to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup (W4 D2), though those two draws have come as the away side in February 1905 and January 2020.

All-Star Ja Morant scored a career-high 52 points including a massive dunk and a buzzer-beater as the Memphis Grizzlies won 118-105 over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

Morant's 52-point haul was the second highest of the NBA season, behind only Trae Young who scored 56 points for the Atlanta Hawks against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 3.

The 22-year-old guard went 22-of-30 from the field including four-of-four from beyond the arc. Morant also hit a ridiculous half-time buzzer-bester after Steve Adams' full-court pass, catching and shooting in one motion.

Earlier in the second quarter, Morant produced a monster one-handed dunk over Spurs center Jakob Poeltl.

Morant's half-century follows up his career-best 46 points against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. It was also the first 50-point game in Grizzlies franchise history.

 

Bucks bounce back with Giannis starring

Reigning champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, had dropped four of their past five games but Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way as they bounced back with a 130-106 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 16 rebounds, four blocks, two steals and six assists, with Bobby Portis adding 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The Miami Heat took some ground in the race for top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 112-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls, with Tyler Herro contributing 20 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench. DeMar DeRozan's 10-game run of 30-point games was halted, managing only 18 for the Bulls.

D'Angelo Russell's good run of scoring continued with 25 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves boosted their playoffs hopes by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-22, with Karl-Anthony Towns () draining a key late three-pointer.

 

Short-handed Nets blown away

The Brooklyn Nets slumped to their 14th loss from their past 17 games, going down miserably 133-97 to the Toronto Raptors at home. Scottie Barnes dominated with 28 points, 16 rebounds and five steals for Toronto while the Nets, missing Kyrie Irving who is ineligible to play home games and head coach Steve Nash in protocols, had few winners

South Africa secured a drawn series with New Zealand as they clinched a 198-run win on the final day of the second Test in Christchurch.

New Zealand began day five on 94-4 but their hopes of holding on to seal a series win were dashed by the Proteas' attack.

Devon Conway was the man holding the New Zealand second innings together, resuming unbeaten on 60.

But he fell eight runs shy of a century and his exit opened the floodgates as the emerging Marco Jansen excelled with the ball and Keshav Maharaj claimed the final wicket to ensure the spoils were shared.

Lutho Sipamla removed Conway when he trapped him lbw with a full delivery and the Black Caps' resistance was never the same thereafter.

Tom Blundell (44) missed out on a half-century and, more importantly, removed himself as a set batsman when his half-hearted pull shot off Jansen only went as far as Temba Bavuma at midwicket.

Left-armer Jansen then removed Colin de Grandhomme, scorer of an unbeaten century in the first innings, with a short ball, leaving the tail to try to prolong the inevitable.

Kagiso Rabada ran to deep leg side to help Jansen secure his third by dismissing Kyle Jamieson before Rabada got in the act himself, drawing an edge to midwicket from Tim Southee.

Rain arrived to frustrate South Africa and force umpires to call an early tea, but the Proteas' wait for the decisive wicket was ended when Maharaj trapped Matt Henry in front for a duck.

More Marco magic

After being limited to two wickets in the first Test, Jansen was back to more prolific form here, following up 4-98 in the first innings with 3-63 in the second. He has taken at least five wickets in all but one of his five Test matches and claimed seven in three of his last four.

Rabada (3-46) finished with eight wickets in the match while spinner Maharaj provided crucial support with 3-75.

Elgar stays unbeaten

Having overseen a victory in the West Indies and a home win over India, a drawn series in New Zealand means Dean Elgar is still yet to lose a series as South Africa captain. If a young attack keeps performing at this level, he will be able to look forward to plenty more victories.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta hopes Ousmane Dembele changes his stance and reconsiders the contract offer from the Catalan club.

Dembele has failed to agree an extension to his current contract, which is due to expire at the end of this season, leading to a spell on the sidelines in January as the winger became an unpopular figure with fans at Camp Nou.

The 24-year-old did not secure a move away from Barca last month, and head coach Xavi has slowly reintroduced him.

Dembele delivered a masterful attacking show in a 23-minute cameo against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, scoring one and assisting two more as Barca cruised to a 4-0 victory.

That made him the first Blaugrana substitute to play a part in three goals in a single LaLiga game this century, and Laporta expressed his hopes the former Borussia Dortmund could yet stay.

"Dembele knows our offer and that we have always wanted him to stay. We hope that at the end of the season he will reconsider it," Laporta said on Monday, as quoted by Cadena SERe.

While Dembele shone against Athletic, Xavi also reserved special praise after the game for Pedri, who he compared to former team-mate Andres Iniesta.

The Spain midfielder attempted (92) and completed (86) more passes on Sunday than in any prior LaLiga match for Barca, also setting a new high for touches (107).

Laporta followed Xavi's plaudits as he hailed the former Las Palmas man's recent outings.

"[Pedri] is destined to be one of the best players in the world, if not the best, but he knows that he has to work hard," Laporta said.

Son Heung-min was lost for words with which to hail Harry Kane after the Tottenham duo set a Premier League record in the 4-0 thrashing of Leeds United.

First-half goals from Matt Doherty, Dejan Kulusevski and Kane had Antonio Conte's side in cruise control at Elland Road on Saturday.

Not satisfied with just a goal to his name, Kane delivered an inviting pass over the top of Leeds' shaky defence in the 85th minute, with Son racing through before finishing with ease.

It was the 37th time that the Spurs pair have directly combined for a top-flight goal since Son's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

That link-up saw them surpass the long-standing Premier League set by Chelsea pair Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

It was also the 20th time Kane and Son have directly combined away from home in the Premier League, Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg their nearest challengers in second with a tally of 16.

South Korea international Son struggled to find the words to describe his attacking partner after another masterful performance.

"What can I say more about Harry? I think any compliment, I'm gone,” he said. "I can't say any more words about him. You can say 'superb'. You can say 'phenomenal'. It's not enough for me.

"I've played together with him for a long time and I'm still looking at him and thinking, 'Wow, this is unbelievable', you know?

"So I think the words are not enough for me. He's just an unreal player. I'm really happy to work with him every day and playing together is a big honour."

Kane endured a lean spell of scoring form at the start of the 2021-22 season after seemingly having his head turned by interest from defending top-flight champions Manchester City.

The England captain found the net just once in his first 13 games of the new Premier League season, but has since returned seven goals in his last 11 league outings and Son continued in his praise for his team-mate.

"When you think a striker is always scoring goals and a number 10 is also making assists, he can do both for two or three seasons," he added.

"He wants to improve for himself. This is his ability, he's so good to watch. He can play number 10, number nine. Whatever we need. To have a striker like this is massive.

"He's doing so well, we're glad to have him and we can still help him as well to get many goals.

"He's a striker and he's still hungry for goals and big things as a team. We need to help him as well, work for him, create chances for him. This is a team thing."

Kane and Son, though, are yet to lift a trophy with the north London club, with Spurs currently sat seventh in the Premier League - five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have played twice more.

Conte's side are still in contention for the FA Cup, in which they face Middlesbrough away in the fifth round on Tuesday, and Son acknowledged his side will have to battle.

"It's not just Harry, everyone wants to win. Everyone does," Son continued. "To win a trophy you need to suffer a lot.

"I play for the win. Obviously I want to enjoy playing football but at the end of the day, there’s a winner and a loser.

"This game is a long way from the FA Cup final but everyone, every team wants to win. But who suffers more I think wins.

"It means a lot for me. I'm going to work hard and play hard for the team, for myself, for the club. I think it means a lot. I can't say what it means to win a trophy for this club. It's going to be incredible.

"But we need to suffer a lot."

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