Dimitar Berbatov admits he is surprised by Harry Kane's decision to not show up for Tottenham training but has played down comparisons between himself and the wantaway striker.
It's no secret that the England international wants a move away from the North London club this summer, although it seems Spurs aren't as keen on letting him depart.
In what appears to be a bold statement from the player, Kane has refused to show up for pre-season training following a short holiday after Euro 2020 - and is believed to have extended his vacation in Florida.
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The 28-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City this summer, is set to miss Spurs' opening game of the season following his trip abroad.
Former Tottenham striker Berbatov, who once missed two games for the club after trying to push through a deal to sign for Manchester United in 2008, thinks Kane has taken the wrong approach to what is already a tricky situation.
"I was surprised. I don't think it's the right way. I never boycotted training, that's the difference," Berbatov told SunSport.
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"I didn't play two games. It was difficult for me to admit but I found the power to say, 'If I play, my mind will not be there, so I will be in the way of my teammates doing their job'.
"But training is easy. It's behind closed doors, most teammates will understand you, and it will be easy to let go of some stress with banter and jokes.
"I hope Harry resumes training, then the difficult and interesting part comes - the games.
"If it's going to happen, I think it will be the last day of the window. But I would love it to be resolved sooner, because I don't want to see him boycotting games."
Berbatov believes the Spurs forward will be "mentally and physically exhausted" by this summer's ongoing transfer saga.
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"I know exactly how Harry Kane is feeling. I know he will be going through a difficult and confusing time, with a million questions going around his head," he continued.
"He's going to be mentally and physically exhausted after all of this. Now he will be asking so many questions, sabotaging himself.
"Am I, Mr Spurs, still doing the right thing by not going to training? Why am I doing this? "What happens if it doesn't work and I need to go back to my old teammates? How am I going to look them in the eye?
"How will I look the fans in the eye? Will they forgive me?
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"I am sure Kane is torn apart and I am sure he is going through a painful period."
It is believed Daniel Levy is determined to keep Kane on the books at Spurs or failing that, a big transfer fee.
Berbatov doesn't blame the chairman for his firm stance.
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"If I was Levy, I would do the same. He is fighting for his team. It was different for me because I was a foreigner from a small country and it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
"Kane is at his home and is a world star. He is going to leave people disappointed, especially the fans who worship him.
"Some understand, others never will. Football is cruel, the pain is going to be bigger than when I left."
Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara, meanwhile, has compared the Kane situation to when Berbatov wanted to leave for Old Trafford.
"I think it's actually better that Harry Kane is not at training," he told talkSPORT. "When a player [in this situation] is in, it can become disruptive.
I think he's making a stance, he's making a stance that he doesn't want to be there, he wants to go, he wants something to happen.
"I remember this situation we had with Berbatov," he added. "A very similar situation where Man United were after him, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign Berba.
"He's just had a great season and I remember he didn't not come in to training, but when he did come into training it was like, I don't want to say it was disruptive, he just wasn't bothered.
"He wasn't bothered, he didn't want to be there, he wanted out and it actually made the dressing room worse.
O'Hara continued, saying: "He ended up starting on the bench at the start [of the season], he came off the bench and he didn't play very well, and then he didn't play for a couple of games. He got dropped.
"He just wasn't a good feeling to have in a dressing room when you have someone around like that who just wants to go.
"He ended up going and went on to have a great career at Manchester United. Spurs got over it, we carried on, we ended up getting to the League Cup final that season and we had a good season."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Spurs, Transfers, Dimitar Berbatov, Premier League, Harry Kane
