Harry Edward Kane MBE (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and captains the England national team. He is both Tottenham Hotspur's and England's all-time highest goalscorer, as well as being the second-highest all-time goalscorer in the Premier League.[2] Kane has scored over 400 goals for club and country.
Beginning his senior career with Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, Kane had loan spells out to clubs across the English football pyramid, including Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City, and Norwich City. Kane's involvement at Tottenham increased after Mauricio Pochettinobecame head coach in 2014, and in his first full season at the club he was named PFA Young Player of the Year. In the 2015–16 and 2016–17seasons, Kane finished as the league's top goalscorer. In the latter campaign, he helped Tottenham finish as Premier League runners-up and was named PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Kane registered his best campaign statistically to date in the 2017–18 season, with 41 goals scored in 48 games across all competitions, and in the following season, he finished as a runner-up in the UEFA Champions League. He ended the 2020–21season as the league's top goalscorer and top assist provider.
In 2023, Kane became the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history, costing €110 million, as he signed for Bayern Munich. In his debut season, he scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga, clinching his first European Golden Shoe.
Kane has scored 68 goals in 101 appearances for England. He appeared more than 30 times at youth international level and made a goalscoring debut with the senior team in March 2015, at age 21. Kane featured and scored during England's successful UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, and represented the country at the tournament. He was named England captain just before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, in which he finished as the competition's top goalscorer, winning the Golden Boot, leading England to fourth place, their highest finish since 1990. He led England to the runner-up position at UEFA Euro 2020, marking their first appearance in a final at the tournament and their first major final since 1966. At Euro 2024, Kane finished as the tournament's joint-top scorer as he again captained England to the final.
Early life
Harry Edward Kane[3] was born on 28 July 1993[4]in Walthamstow, London, to Kim (née Hogg) and Patrick Kane and has one older brother, Charlie.[5][6][7] He has Irish ancestry through his father, who is from Galway.[8][9] The family moved to Chingford where Kane attended Larkswood Primary Academy until 2004,[10][11] followed by Chingford Foundation School (also attended by David Beckham).[12] He played football from a young age, joining a local club, Ridgeway Rovers, when he was six in 1999.[13] Kane talked about footballing in the family:
Kane also said: "Most of my family were Spurs fans and I grew up 15 minutes from the ground, so I was always going to be a Spurs fan".[14] He named former Spurs striker Teddy Sheringham his childhood idol, and saw him as a "great finisher" and a role model in his ability to get in the box and score goals.[15] Other childhood sporting influences he cited include David Beckham and Jermain Defoe.[16] Kane has also spoken of his admiration for the former Brazil forward Ronaldo, adding that he loved to watch footage of him on YouTube: "He was one of the first ones I looked at and thought, 'Wow. He's a goalscorer, I want to be a goalscorer.'"[17]
Club career
Tottenham Hotspur
2004–2010: Youth career
Kane first played for a local club, Ridgeway Rovers, and joined the Arsenal youth academy when he was eight years old. He was released after one season for being "a bit chubby" and not "very athletic", according to Liam Brady who was then in charge of Arsenal's academy.[18] Manager Arsène Wenger stated in November 2015 that he was disappointed that Arsenal chose to release Kane.[19] He also had a trial at Tottenham Hotspurbut was not initially successful,[20] and he returned to his old club Ridgeway Rovers. In 2004, at the age of eleven, he joined Watford academy for a four- to six-week trial, and was then given another chance at Tottenham after he impressed playing for Watford against Tottenham.[21][22] He first played at Tottenham as a midfielder – initially in a holding position, then as an attacking midfielder.[20]
In his early days at Tottenham, Kane did not stand out as a player as he was neither big nor was he particularly quick, but those who worked with him noted his constant desire to improve various aspects of his game.[6] A couple of years after joining, he had a large growth spurt that made him taller and physically stronger.[23] In the 2008–09 season, he played in the under-16s side that competed in the Copa Chivas tournament in Mexico, and the Bellinzona tournament in Switzerland, scoring three goals.[24] In July 2009, on his 16th birthday, he signed a scholarship contract with Tottenham.[25]
In the 2009–10 season, Kane played 22 times for Tottenham's under-18s, scoring 18 goals.[26] Kane appeared on the first-team bench twice during the 2009–10 season.[27] Both matches were in home domestic cup victories: one the League Cupfixture against Everton on 27 October 2009[28]and the other in the FA Cup fourth-round replayagainst Bolton Wanderers on 24 February 2010.[29]
2010–2014: Loan spells across England
He signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2010.[30] On 7 January 2011, Kane moved to Leyton Orient on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season.[31] Manager Russell Sladewas "happy" at his arrival and said, "I'm sure he will have an impact with us over the coming months".[32] He made his first-team debut for Orient on 15 January, coming on as a substitutefor Scott McGleish in the 73rd minute of a 1–1 draw away to Rochdale.[33] A week later, Kane scored his first first-team goal against Sheffield Wednesday; making his first-ever start, "unmarked" Kane scored from a Dean Cox free kick in the 57th minute as Orient eventually won 4–0.[34][35] Slade said that he was "delighted" that Kane scored a goal on his first league start.[32] On 12 February, he scored twice in a 4–1 win over Bristol Rovers, after coming on as a substitute for McGleish in the 70th minute.[36] He ended the season scoring five goals in 18 matches.[37]
On 25 August 2011, Kane made his first appearance for Tottenham, starting in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League qualification round against Hearts, with Tottenham making changes after winning the first leg 5–0. His debut was a goalless match, although he won a penaltyafter being fouled by goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald, who then saved the penalty which Kane took himself.[38] He went on to make six appearances in the Europa League that season, scoring his first Tottenham goal in the 4–0 win away to Shamrock Rovers on 15 December 2011.[39]
On 29 December 2011, Kane and Tottenham teammate Ryan Mason agreed to join Championship club Millwall on loan from 1 January 2012 until the end of the season.[40] After making his debut against Bristol City, manager Kenny Jackett said that he had "very good debut" but was "unlucky not to score". He also said that Kane would "be a good addition" for the club in the second half of the season. He went on to score seven goals in the final 14 matches of the season.[32] Kane scored nine goals in 27 matches which resulted in him being named Millwall's Young Player of the Year for 2011–12.[41] His run of goals scored towards the end of the season has been credited with helping to raise Millwall in the table away from the threat of relegation that season.[42]
Kane spent pre-season 2012–13 season with Tottenham, scoring a hat-trick in a 6–0 away win against Southend United on 10 August 2012.[43]On 18 August, he made his Premier League debut, against Newcastle United.[44] Coming as an 86th-minute substitute for Sandro, Tottenham lost 2–1.[32]
On 31 August 2012, Kane joined Premier League team Norwich City on a season-long loan,[45]making his debut as a substitute against West Ham United.[46] Kane suffered an injury, breaking a metatarsal bone, in the League Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers in only his second appearance.[47] The 19-year-old underwent his rehabilitation at Tottenham but returned to action for Norwich on 29 December 2012, coming off the bench at half time as Norwich lost 3–4 to Manchester City.[48] However, with Tottenham having been unable to add to their attacking options during the January transfer window, they opted to recall Kane on 1 February 2013, four months before he was due to return.[49]
Twenty days after he was recalled to Tottenham, Kane joined Leicester City for the remainder of the season to aid in the club's push for automatic promotion from the Championship.[50] He marked his home debut with a goal against Blackburn Rovers, in a 3–0 win on 26 February 2013.[51] He made 13 appearances for the East Midlands club, eight from the bench, and they reached the play-off semi-final before being eliminated by Watford.[52]
Kane scored his first Tottenham goal of the 2013–14 season at White Hart Lane in a League Cup tie against Hull City, scoring the equaliser in extra time, the match finished 2–2.[53] Tottenham won 8–7 on penalties, with Kane taking and converting the fifth of the nine sets of spot-kicks.[53]
On 7 April 2014, Kane was given his first Premier League start for Tottenham by manager Tim Sherwood, in a 5–1 win against Sunderland, and scored his first Premier League goal in the 59th minute.[54] He also scored in the following match, helping Tottenham to recover from a 3–0 deficit against West Bromwich Albion before eventually drawing 3–3.[55] He scored for the third match in a row on 19 April, this time helping Tottenham to a 3–1 London derby win at home over Fulham.[56]
2014–2015: PFA Young Player of the Year
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Kane made his first appearance of the 2014–15 season as a substitute against West Ham on the opening day of the Premier League season, providing an assist for the match-winning goal by Eric Dier.[57] He scored in both matches against Cypriot opposition AEL Limassol in Tottenham's UEFA Europa League play-offs, scoring an 80th-minute winner in the first leg, and opening the scoring in the 3–0 second leg victory after missing a penalty.[58] He scored a late goal against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup to secure a 3–1 victory for Tottenham on 24 September 2014.[59] On 23 October 2014, Kane scored his first professional hat-trick for Tottenham in a 5–1 win over Asteras Tripoli in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.[60] Kane was forced to play in goal for the final three minutes, after Hugo Lloris had been sent off with no substitutions remaining, and conceded a goal when he dropped a free-kick from Jerónimo Barrales.[60]
On 2 November 2014, Kane came on as a second-half substitute in Tottenham's 2–1 win over Aston Villa and scored his first Premier League goal of the season to win the match in the 90th minute.[61] Manager Mauricio Pochettino, who was appointed to replace Sherwood and had a rocky start at the club, has since said that this goal saved him from the sack.[62] Henceforth Kane became a regular in Spurs' starting line-up under Pochettino; he was selected to start a week later for the first time in this Premier League season, and although the team lost 2–1 at home to Stoke City,[63] he retained his place in the first XI for Spurs' 2–1 win away to Hull City on 23 November, scoring the team's equalising goal.[64] Between 14 and 26 December, Kane scored in three consecutive 2–1 wins for Tottenham, against Swansea City,[65] Burnley[66] and Leicester City[67] respectively. On 1 January 2015, Kane scored twice and won a penalty as Tottenham defeated rivals and league leaders Chelsea 5–3,[68] and he scored a further two in a 3–0 away win against West Bromwich Albion on 31 January, including one from a penalty.[69] Kane set up Christian Eriksen's late equaliser against Sheffield United on 28 January 2015, a goal which put Tottenham into the 2015 League Cup final.[70] His performances led to him being named as the Premier League Player of the Month for January 2015.[1]