Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane has overcome an early rejection by Arsenal and an unsuccessful trial at Watford to become one of football’s leading strikers and end England’s 25-year wait for the prestigious award.
Here are six notable facts from the England captain’s career.
Schooldays with David Beckham
Kane attended Chingford Foundation School, the same school as David Beckham. His former English teacher Denis McElligott, who also managed one of the school teams Kane played for, described him as “clever, articulate and very humble”.
“When we were struggling during a game, the tactic would be ‘just give it to Harry’, and he would smash one in from the corner flag,” McElligott said.
Like Beckham, Kane went on to captain England and appear in advertisements for men’s fragrances. However, he became engaged to his childhood schoolfriend Katie Goodland rather than a pop star, and has chosen not to get tattoos because, he said, “my dad always told me I would regret it when I was older”.
Rejected as a youngster
Kane began playing at Ridgeway Rovers, where Beckham and Andros Townsend also started their careers. Arsenal and Tottenham initially rejected him, while his trial at Watford was unsuccessful.
Liam Brady, who was in charge of Arsenal’s academy at the time, said Kane’s weight was one of the reasons he was released.
“He was a bit chubby,” Brady said. “He wasn’t very athletic, but we made a mistake.”
Kane impressed in a match against Tottenham while at Watford, prompting the club’s coaches to bring him back. His former Ridgeway coach David Bricknell admitted: “If you’d have said to me at 11 or even 14, would he go on to have the career he’s had? I probably would have said: ‘I doubt it.’”
Film and television favourites
Kane’s favourite film is Law Abiding Citizen, the Gerard Butler action film that received 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and was awarded one star by Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw when it was released in 2009.
Bradshaw called it “extremely gory and stomach-churning” as well as “silly and nasty at the same time”.
Kane has also remained loyal to his favourite television programme. In 2014, he named Dexter as his preferred show. In an interview this year, he gave the same answer, saying: “It just had me gripped from the start.”
An unusual World Cup record
At the World Cup, Kane scored with all six of his shots on target. Despite that remarkable efficiency, 24 players had attempted more than his nine shots.
The figures reflected the limited number of opportunities England created. At the European Championship two years earlier, Kane had 13 shots without scoring. In the most recent Premier League season, he attempted 184 shots, 40 more than any other player and almost twice Christian Eriksen’s 97. Of Kane’s attempts, 108 were off target and 30 went in.
Two homes and a simple finishing rule
Kane and Goodland shared a family home in Essex with their daughter Ivy and two dogs. The property included a swimming pool, a cinema and golf-simulator room, and a temporary World Cup-themed viewing tipi.
Mauricio Pochettino also revealed that Kane had a second house near Tottenham’s training ground, where he stayed during the week to spend more time working on his game.
Kane’s advice for scoring is straightforward: “When you get a clear sight of goal, aim low and hard across the goalkeeper. These are the most difficult shots to save.”
A growing NFL obsession
Kane became fascinated by American football after being introduced to the sport by Goodland’s brother. One of his dogs is named after quarterback Tom Brady, whose rise from being underestimated to achieving success through talent and relentless work appealed to him.
“He reminded me of me,” Kane said. “Brady believed in himself so much – and he just kept working and working, almost obsessively, to get better.”
Kane has even considered becoming an NFL placekicker after retiring from football. “It depends on how my career goes and injuries and how I age,” he said, “but I’d love to.”
