Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has lavished praise on Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp for their "outstanding" performances against AC Milan in the Champions League.
The duo were thrown into the deep end at San Siro, where Antonio Conte was without three of his regular midfielders in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma.
However, Skipp and Sarr held their own against the reigning Italian champions in a pair of dogged displays, although Spurs still succumbed to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 tie courtesy of a Brahim Diaz goal.
Nevertheless, speaking to the Evening Standard after the game, Kane insisted that Sarr and Skipp should pat themselves on the back after repaying the trust in them shown by Conte.
"I thought they were both outstanding," Kane said. "It's not easy to come into the team - two young players who have not got as much experience as some of the others - in that sort of atmosphere and game, and perform the way they did. They should be proud.
"We were fully behind them and I think it's important that the more experienced players make them feel as comfortable as possible.
"The boss said before the game, 'We completely trust you and enjoy playing at the San Siro against one of the most famous clubs in the world'. They did that."
Sarr's 90-minute outing was only his sixth senior appearance in a Tottenham shirt since his arrival from Metz, and his third start after featuring from the first whistle against Portsmouth and Arsenal in January.
"He's got fantastic quality. He was everywhere last night, breaking up play, tracking back, making tackles, shots, crosses. We're happy with him. The boss trusts him, that's why he's playing and we're going to need those type of performances for the rest of the season," Kane said of Sarr.
Meanwhile, Skipp - who has been plagued by injuries over the past couple of years - was also making his first Champions League start of the season, and Kane is pleased to see his compatriot return to form after a "really unlucky" spate of fitness problems.
"He was really unlucky. When Antonio first came in, he was playing a big part of our team. He was playing games, looking good, looking solid then he got quite a big injury in his pelvis area," Kane said.
"That set him back three or four months, and he's just been working hard to get his time again and been waiting patiently so really happy that he's done well tonight. He'll keep trying to improve and that starts again on Sunday."
At least one of Sarr or Skipp will be required in the midfield for the second leg against Milan on March 8, where Hojbjerg will return from his one-game continental suspension, although Eric Dier now has a ban of his own to serve after being booked at San Siro.
Bentancur has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury sustained in the weekend's defeat to Leicester City, while Bissouma could also sit out the remainder of the campaign after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his ankle.
Tottenham, who sit fifth in the Premier League table, are next in action at home to London rivals West Ham United on Sunday afternoon. body check tags ::
