Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane said he didn’t expect to play in Thursday’s 5-1 Europa Conference League triumph against Slovenian underdogs NS Mura, but he hoped his hat-trick in the second half can help the club’s domestic progress.

Kane has failed to score in the Premier League this season, after being linked with a move to Manchester City in the summer before opting to stay in London.

Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso had given Tottenham a 2-1 lead at halftime, and Kane greeted his second-half appearance with a quick-fire treble.

“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.”

Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo stated that the game required a boost of energy, which Kane, Son Heung-min, and Lucas Moura gave.

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

Tottenham have lost their last three league games, putting them at 11th in the standings, three places below Aston Villa