Harry Kane in 2018: “My dream wasn’t to play in the Premier League. My dream was to play in the Premier League for Spurs.
So I told [André Villas-Boas], quite honestly, “I don’t want to go [on leave].”
As the words were coming out of my mouth, I thought, Oh, wow — maybe that wasn’t.…
He just kind of looked at me, a bit confused.
And then I just came straight out with it. I said, “I’m gonna prove to you that I should be starting on this team. And you can tell me every Friday before the game that I don’t deserve that, and that I’m not going to play. And that’s fine. But I don’t want to go.”
And that was that. He let me stay on and train with the first team — and it really ended up being the turning point in my confidence. I had always felt like I had the ability, but I kind of had to stand up for myself. It was like I could see my childhood dream, and it was right there in front of me … but it was just out of reach. I was waiting for somebody to hand it to me. But life never hands it to you, does it?
You’ve gotta grab it.
I was on fire in training, but I still couldn’t get a game. Then the manager was let go in the winter and Tim Sherwood took charge — and he gave me my chance. The rest, as people might say, is history. I scored three goals in my first three starts, and that was an incredible feeling, especially the first time scoring at White Hart Lane. But honestly, all the things I went through before I scored Goal Number 1 … that’s what made me who I am….
For me, the rejection is the best thing that ever happened to me. When I was lacing my up boots for my first start in the North London derby back in 2015, I had a flashback to when I was 11, playing against Arsenal’s youth team. It was like déjà vu. Before every match, I always visualize scenarios in my head of exactly how I’ll score in the match. Left-foot curler into the bottom corner. Right-foot volley from the right corner of the box. I’ve always been that way. I get really detailed about it — I’ll picture my opponents and the cut of the grass and everything.
This time, I was picturing the defenders wearing the red Arsenal kit, and I got goosebumps.
We were in the tunnel, and I thought, “O.K. Took me 12 years. But we’ll see who was right and who was wrong.”
I scored two that day, and the winner in the 86th minute was something that I’d never even dream of visualizing before a match. It was a header — probably the best header I’ve ever scored — and that feeling when it hit the back of the net … I’ve never felt a rush like that in my whole career.
I remember walking round the pitch after the final whistle … and clapping to the fans … and it felt like, Well — I told you so.” https://t.co/AIJvVbtojF
@HKane | @England
VAR (18) has more assists for Arsenal this season than any other player in the Arsenal squad... The closest competitor is Leandro Trossard with 6 assists.
@SpursOfficial Don’t bother with any of your “we must learn from this” shit interviews, in fact don’t bother with any post-match interviews. The manager and the players couldn’t get themselves up after that reception…. sack the lot
@JakeRuss1000 Hadn’t he bemoaned the wet winter not a couple of days ago? It only stopped raining a week ago, and is due heavy rain overnight, what they meant to do?
@nickluck@TheRacingJosh 🤣🤣🤣 course Dan. If he were mine I’d enter him just to see how many shit it and swerve, ain’t got to make a decision until the very end.
Might be able to just bunny hop round and then blitz sprint whoever’s left up the hill.
@SpursOfficial Let me guess so hard in January blah blah blah blah…..
There’s both you and Paratici - who stayed on throughout the window to help.
Also would like to point to the likes of Liverpool who miraculously spent some more money even though their squad is fuller than our own