Tottenham Hotspur legend Harry Kane reveals father’s role in helping him deal with Arsenal snub
Tottenham Hotspur icon Harry Kane was once on Arsenal’s books before being released as an eight-year-old kid.
The England international’s journey hasn’t been smooth, in that regard. He is now an irreplaceable part of Tottenham’s attack, but he was once a teenager at Spurs trying to master his craft and make a case to play for the senior team.
He made his debut for the Lilywhites in a UEFA Europa League qualification match against Hearts in 2011, but even then, he had to be loaned out to teams like Millwall, Leicester City and Norwich City before he could be a regular at Spurs.
Speaking on Instagram (h/t Daily Star), the 29-year-old centre-forward recalled being rejected by the Gunners as a kid. He said:
“Rejection is a tricky thing when you’re a kid. When I was eight years old, I was released by Arsenal. My dad was the one who told me.”
“I wasn’t old enough to fully understand the feeling of rejection, and dad didn’t show any signs of disappointment. He just put his arm around me and said ‘we go again, and work even harder. Let’s see where it takes us.’ And so we did.”
His father then informed him of interest from Spurs. He latched onto the opportunity and joined Spurs’ academy in 2004. Kane continued:
“Dad then told me that Tottenham wanted me. We took the opportunity and put in the hard work. I was desperate to make the first team but I had to [be] patient and I had to keep believing in myself.”
Kane is now a living legend at Spurs. It would undoubtedly be a regretful situation for Arsenal – letting go of arguably one of England’s greatest strikers ever. The number nine position, thanks to Kane, is an area we haven’t had to worry about for years.
The Gunners, meanwhile, had to spend £45million to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City this summer. Kane has started the season off in flying form and has eight goals and one assist in 12 games across competitions.
More Tottenham News:
- Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur could make January offer for Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic
- Transfer News: AC Milan join Tottenham in the race to sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah
- Ryan Sessegnon pays tribute to Gian Piero Ventrone after emotional Tottenham Hotspur win vs Brighton
He is third in Premier League’s all-time top-scorers list and hopefully, overtakes Alan Shearer’s 260-goal record with us. Kane has just under two years left on his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Transfermarkt).
