Peter Crouch has warned Tottenham striker Harry Kane to carefully consider the career paths of Michael Owen and Robin van Persie if he decides to leave north London.
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Kane in the summer, and the likelihood of a bid for the England captain could increase if his former boss at Spurs, Mauricio Pochettino, is appointed their new manager.
Manchester City, who were heavily linked with a move for Kane last summer, are also expected to revive their interest in the close season.
The 28-year-old has spent his entire career with the Lilywhites but is yet to win a trophy, and former Spurs midfielder Gus Poyet called on Kane to make a ‘strong decision’ and leave the club in order to win silverware.
Owen, Van Persie and Spurs legend Teddy Sheringham all won trophies after securing moves to Old Trafford, and Crouch has urged Kane to consider their career trajectories when deciding whether to leave the club.
"It is such a hard decision, the emotional pull weighed against a fear that your career goes unfulfilled," Crouch wrote in his column for The Mail.
"I always think back to Michael Owen. He went and won things elsewhere but then he isn’t Steven Gerrard when he walks through the doors at Anfield. He could have been.
"Yet the flipside is looking at Robin van Persie or Teddy Sheringham. These guys chose to make their moves to Manchester United and it paid off with league titles. If you think I’m going round in circles, imagine what must be going on inside Harry’s head. "
Kane has come close on a number of occasions to lifting silverware with Spurs; the club finished runners-up in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season and lost in the finals of the Carabao Cup and Champions League.
However, Kane has won the top flight’s golden boot three times and is close to eclipsing Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all-time leading goalscorer.
But Crouch has claimed that Kane will increase his chances of finally lifting silverware if he leaves the club.
He added: "If Harry were to join Manchester City, for argument’s sake, then he is with players on his level.
"He is guaranteed trophies, will score 30 goals every season and might even break Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 260 goals. There are plenty of advantages.
"But there is just something in staying at Tottenham. The opportunity to take your kids in the coming years, for example. Look, there is daddy’s statue. Here, we are going to a lounge with our name. There is something in that.
"Not many, especially now, become genuine legends."
