“Overcoming Hardships”: Harry Kane’s path, the current state of affairs in academies

“Through Hardships”: Harry Kane's path, and the current state of academies

In the autumn of 1999, the youth football club Ridgeway Rovers — which also produced David Beckham — was holding its next annual tryouts. The sessions were led by Dave Bricknell, a lifelong Tottenham fan, former club scout, and someone truly passionate about football.

“A six-year-old boy came to the rugby club in Loughton. We were holding a small training session there focused on shooting drills. I asked who wanted to be the goalkeeper,” Bricknell recalls. “One boy raised his hand and said: 'I'll stand in goal.' We gave him gloves. He went on to make several fantastic saves. 'Thank goodness, we found a goalkeeper,' I thought. After all, finding a goalkeeper, especially among six-year-olds, is very difficult. Usually, they stay in goal for about five seconds before wanting to go and score goals.

Then I was told that he was actually an outfield player, not a goalkeeper. I tested him on the pitch. The boy started scoring goal after goal. Despite being so young, he was immensely talented. He had a powerful strike and excellent ball control. But most importantly, he possessed boundless self-belief. He scored a lot of goals. But even if the ball went wide of the post, he never got discouraged. He simply kept trying, looking for the next opportunity to score.”

Impressed by eight-year-old Harry Kane's prolific play for Ridgeway Rovers, Arsenal invited him to their academy. However, two years later, academy coaches concluded that other boys his age showed more promise. Watford also gave Harry a trial, but he was rejected there as well.

At eleven years old, Kane was left with one last opportunity: his beloved childhood club Tottenham Hotspur and the football team of Chingford Foundation School. Harry was firmly determined not to let this chance slip away.

“Even at eleven, Harry possessed brilliant technique, ball-receiving skills, and a deep understanding of the game. He always knew where he needed to move,” says Mark Lydon, who taught physical education to Kane.

“Harry was also very good at cricket. From Year 7 to Year 10, he played as a bowler and usually batted fourth or fifth. But his favorite passion was football. He never acted like a spoiled star; he put his all into everything he did. Some students consider themselves superior to others. Harry was absolutely not like that.”

Former Tottenham youth team coach Alex Inglethorpe shares the following story:

“When I arrived at Tottenham to manage the under-18 team, Harry was thirteen years old. At the same time, I was also tasked with working with the under-14 team. Because of this, every Wednesday evening we would all gather in one place. I wish I could say that we noticed back then that he would become a great star in the future. But that would be a lie. Perhaps he wasn't even among the top three players. His technique was fantastic: he could pass, receive the ball, and shoot at goal. But the most pleasant thing about him was that he was extremely easy to work with.”

Inglethorpe recalls July 2009, when 16-year-old Harry Kane signed an academy scholarship contract with Tottenham. Inglethorpe, together with colleagues John McDermott, Chris Ramsey, Les Ferdinand, and Tim Sherwood, set to work on developing the young talent who still needed to mature.

“Shortly after Harry received his academy scholarship, it became clear that clinical finishing was his strong suit. He wasn't great with his head, nor could he use his left foot with much confidence. But he was his own best coach. That thirteen-year-old boy, who still had much to learn, independently mastered a vast array of skills over the next five years. He understood very well what he lacked and which flaws could hinder him from achieving success. He was firmly determined to eliminate them.

Harry was capable of self-assessment and analyzed his game independently. There was no need to sit down and analyze the game like adults like us do. He figured out in his own mind how to achieve success.

Working with him as a player was a absolute pleasure. Because even after training, he wanted to stay behind and do extra work: 'Let's do it again, let me take a few more shots at goal!' My job was very simple: to retrieve the ball from the bushes and restart the drill.

All that was required of us was to create opportunities for him to work on the aspects he needed to improve. Developing skills such as heading and using his left foot. That passion to become even better is undoubtedly his greatest trait,” recalls Inglethorpe.

Former youth team coach and former Tottenham head coach Tim Sherwood says:

“Harry trained as if every day were the last day of his life. When you speak with him, you notice how attentively he listens to your every word. He absorbs information like a sponge and is always striving to learn something. If he didn't understand something, he would ask questions. Working with him was any manager's dream: explaining once was enough, he would remember everything, and then try to apply the acquired knowledge on the pitch.”

In January 2011, 17-year-old Kane was sent on loan to Leyton Orient, competing in England's third tier, League One.

In an away match against Rochdale, Harry came on in the 73rd minute to replace Scott McGleish. McGleish was an experienced 36-year-old footballer who had scored 216 goals in 572 appearances across English leagues — a player who had made the skill and hard work required to score goals the very essence of his life.

“Harry wasn't at all like some Premier League players who come here and act arrogant, as if they are superior to everyone else,” says McGleish. “He wanted to gain experience in an environment I call 'real men's football.' Of course, he could have stayed and played in the U18 and U21 teams. But he wanted to learn. From the very first days, it was clear that he was ready to fight for his place in the team.

Harry was ready to go to Leyton Orient first to gain experience. I think that was a massive achievement for him. He agreed to step down a level and play in League One. Football here relies heavily on physical strength, while technical skill plays a relatively smaller role. Everything happens at great speed. It is completely different from the calm environment of playing for the under-21s.”

Kane scoring five goals in nine starts for Leyton Orient caught the attention of Millwall, who were struggling in the Championship. The club's head coach, Kenny Jackett, had previously worked with Sherwood at Watford.

On the first day of 2012, at the New Den stadium, 18-year-old Kane was met by one of the club's veteran players — Alan Dunne, a tough defender who had received 10 red and 85 yellow cards during his career.

“I've seen many players come to the New Den and lose their composure. Before five minutes had passed, they would hear abusive words they had never heard before and couldn't handle such pressure,” says Dunne.

“Harry knew very well about this. Because when young players join the team, such things are always talked about. But it didn't faze him in the slightest. He was a confident, focused lad. He viewed it as a test for himself and passed it admirably. I wasn't the most skilled player, but I was a very passionate and uncompromising player. I never shied away from one-on-one battles and did everything in my power to win. Harry saw this. He understood that at Millwall, you had to play aggressively, take pride in the club, and show that you truly deserved to wear that shirt. He managed all of this at just eighteen years old.”

Sherwood adds:

“I frequently watched Harry's matches at Millwall. The environment there was genuinely terrifyingly high-pressure. One day, I overheard a conversation between one of our scouts and Harry Redknapp, who was managing Tottenham at the time. The scout was saying, 'We need to pull Kane out of Millwall. There's no need for him to be there.'

I immediately interrupted and said: 'What did you say? That is the most suitable environment for him! We don't want him to be in comfortable conditions. We want him to play under constant pressure.'”

Nine goals in 26 starts helped Kane win the affection of Millwall fans, who traditionally disliked Tottenham. At the end of the season, Harry was named the club's Young Player of the Year. His goals helped save the team from relegation to the lower division.

By the start of the 2012/13 season, a much more mature and well-rounded striker emerged before us. He could score goals from close range as well as from distance, playing both with his head up and down while moving with the ball.

“The variety of his finishing methods was astonishing. This was also clearly visible in training sessions,” says McGleish. “He practiced various ways to finish attacks, working on striking with his right and left foot, and heading. Some strikers act like classic center-forwards, looking for open space. Harry could now receive the ball even under tight marking, break into a comfortable position, and shoot. He would take on a defender, beat him, and unleash a strike. Or he would shoot from outside the penalty area, tucking the ball into the top corner of the net. He could strike accurately at goal with both feet. Now almost every shot of his forced the goalkeeper into action. That is a very valuable trait for a striker.”

Dunne adds:

“If you had to describe his strikes in one word, that word is perfection. Someone might say that 'perfect' is not a term suited for football. But time and again, he precisely placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net. There were no inaccurate or misplaced shots at all. Not always into the top corners, but specifically into the bottom corners. Repeatedly, with the exact same precision.”

“He learned to hit the corners of the goal accurately through self-directed practice,” says Inglethorpe. “This, like any other skill, is a craft. If you work purposefully to master it, you will definitely acquire it. I don't agree with the idea that everything depends solely on natural talent. I believe in talent developed through hard work. Harry is precisely that kind of player.

He understood that a person who wants to score a lot of goals must be able to score with both the right foot and the left foot, when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, from outside the penalty area, from inside it, and with the head. And he taught himself all of these things. Even now, he is as hungry to improve as he was back then.”

McGleish continues:

“Harry learned to determine where the goal was located by looking at the pitch markings. Through the lines on the pitch, he knows where he is standing, which means he can picture the position of the goal as well. Because of this, he no longer needs to look up every single time. If he is standing at a certain point, he knows how he needs to strike the ball. All of this was formed thanks to regular training and an extremely strong drive to become better.”

“One day I witnessed Harry score one of the most beautiful goals I have ever seen in my life,” says Dunne. “It happened during a training session. The goal seemed to come out of nowhere. The goalkeeper kicked the ball long. Harry struck the ball while it was in the air, from an angle that seemed impossible to score from, and put it in the net. All of our jaws dropped. It was unparalleled technique and an immensely skillful finish. If any other player tried to score like that, only one out of a million attempts might turn out successful.”

Kane's next loan spell continued at Norwich, who were managed at the time by Chris Hughton — another person connected with Tottenham. However, due to an injury, the loan period ended earlier than scheduled.

In January 2013, 19-year-old Harry was sent to Leicester, managed by Nigel Pearson. But he couldn't secure a place in the starting lineup because his competitors were Chris Wood and David Nugent. He sat on the substitutes' bench side-by-side with another striker going through a difficult period just like him — Jamie Vardy.

“Leicester had come to the New Den. We were leading 1:0, and I had scored the goal,” recalls Dunne. “Seeing Kane coming on as a substitute, I thought: 'Right, now the trouble might start.' I knew very well how to get on opponents' nerves. So I went up to him and whispered in his ear — 'Harry, just don't go near that ball, or I won't spare you...'

He didn't even look at me. He made no gesture, offered no reaction. I tried to make him angry again and again, but received no response whatsoever. Even though we desperately needed a victory and I was ready to play very tough against him.”

In the summer, Kane was sent to the U20 World Cup. Peter Taylor, who managed the England Under-20 national team in the summer of 2013, says:

“My first impression of him was — what a top lad he is. My second impression was that when Kane finishes his career, he will have no regrets because he will have done everything in his power to become a successful footballer. I have worked with League One and League Two players. Some of them had to be reminded of the same things over and over again. For Harry, saying it once was enough. He is a very intelligent footballer. He enjoyed every single training session; he just needed to understand why it was necessary.

A period of changes began at Tottenham. André Villas-Boas was dismissed from his post, and Tim Sherwood took his place. Sherwood decided first and foremost to place his trust in young players. Had it not been for that 148-day period when Sherwood managed Tottenham, Kane's career might have turned out completely differently.

On April 7, 2014, just three months shy of his 21st birthday, Harry started a Premier League match in Tottenham's main lineup for the first time. He scored a goal against Sunderland. A week later, he proved himself again in a match against West Bromwich Albion, scoring once more.

“I never considered putting Harry in the starting lineup a risk. To be honest, it should have been done much earlier,” says Sherwood. “One of his main rivals in the team was Roberto Soldado. But in every training session, Harry played better than him. After about three weeks, I realized I needed to make changes to the lineup and add Harry to the main team. He justified my trust. Among all the people who believed in Harry Kane, I was the one who believed in him the most. I always felt he possessed the qualities of Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer, with whom I had played. That is a very high comparison, but I think it is entirely appropriate.”

Now Tim Sherwood is worried that Tottenham Hotspur has failed to properly prepare the next generation of young players. In his view, Kane's meteoric rise is clear evidence of how many world-class talented footballers English clubs could produce if they were willing to show more trust in young players.

“The club's academy is now in a completely different state. You could close it down right now and weld the doors shut. After all, you can't tell me that after Harry Kane, not a single player was found in the academy talented enough to play regularly in Tottenham's main squad! Either the coaches didn't give them a chance, or they didn't knock on the main team's door with determination. The club did not justify these lads' trust.

I didn't do this to satisfy my own ego or to bring as many academy graduates into the main squad as possible. I approached everyone with the same criteria. I had the right to draw such conclusions because I knew these lads well. Because I had walked that path myself. When I joined the main team for the first time in my childhood, I played very poorly. But they believed in me for long enough. They gave me the chance to rise first to an average level, and then to the level of a good footballer. I know very well how important it is for someone to believe in you and create an opportunity for you to prove yourself.”

By the time Mauricio Pochettino replaced Sherwood, Kane had already figured out what it took to score goals in the Premier League. However, over the seven years following Pochettino, seven different head coaches changed at Tottenham, leaving virtually no opportunities for young footballers.

The only academy graduate who has had the chance to play regularly in the Premier League in recent seasons has been Mikey Moore.

“I understand how important it is for a Tottenham manager to deliver results. But they pay almost no attention to the academy. Or they wait for a Lionel Messi to fall from a tree. But that won't happen. They prefer to look for players in the transfer market or try to get even more output from experienced players. They say they don't have time to wait. To which I would answer: players bought for 50, 75, or 100 million pounds might not justify the trust either.”

“We all know Wirtz has talent. He is a fantastic player. He has already played over 50 matches for Liverpool. Now tell me, if an academy graduate played like Wirtz, would he be given the chance to feature in 50 matches? Never!

Things in the transfer market are not set up well enough. The path to the main team is blocked for young footballers, and their places are taken by average-level players due to their reputation and transfer price. This is completely wrong,” says Sherwood.

When Kane got his opportunity, he made full use of it and never looked back since. We give the floor to Sherwood again:

“Harry's character was unique. Even now, I see in him that same drive he had at 16–18 years old. He never considers that he has reached the limit of his capabilities. He still strives to become even better. If he didn't understand something, he was never afraid to ask questions. And once he understood, he did everything in his power to improve.

We had developed individual development programs for him and for the other lads. Right now, however, too many coaches think more about building their own careers than about the future of young players. Everything is aimed at winning. Management praises coaches for winning championships among under-21 teams. Who needs that U21? No one cares who wins those competitions.

I firmly believe: if a player cannot break into the main team by the age of 18, another path needs to be found for him. He needs to play men's football. But if no one fights for these lads, they will never achieve success.

Sayings along the lines of 'If they are good enough, they will make it to the main team eventually anyway' are the biggest nonsense I've ever heard. There are moments in a footballer's career when everything hinges on a single decision. The most important thing is to get an opportunity and make full use of it.”

“They used to tell me: 'We know you like Harry, but he's playing for Orient. This isn't the Premier League!' And I would reply: 'Then send Luka Modrić there as well and let's see how he plays.' Playing football at that level is incredibly difficult. It's almost equivalent to a different sport altogether.

The fact that he didn't score a huge number of goals at every club he played for doesn't mean he failed. It was about step-by-step development. This brought him far more benefit than meaningless U21 matches where no one cares whether the team wins or loses.

We were truly overactive in fighting for these lads. I, Chris, Les, and everyone who contributed to Harry Kane's development are immensely proud of the work we accomplished.”

Following Kane's departure, Tottenham has been facing serious difficulties in terms of scoring goals. In the summer, the club sold 21-year-old Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough. The young striker scored 11 goals in 12 appearances for his new team.

“The similarities here are striking. I knew Harry and the other lads like my own children. I knew what kind of people they were, felt their moods, and understood how to work with them.

I don't know Will Lankshear personally. But if I worked with him, I would also study him closely to determine whether he possesses the character, determination, and talent required to play for Tottenham. I would never have allowed them to sell him for 10 million pounds. He needed a pat on the shoulder, support, and an opportunity. He needed to be told: 'Don't worry about what the fans think. You have a chance to show what you can do. If you play well, they will come to love you.'

His self-confidence needed to be reinforced. He needed to be told that he could become the next Harry Kane of the future. There is no basis to say that this is impossible. If you have strikers in your team who can't score a single goal, why sell Will Lankshear?

I wouldn't have allowed them to let Troy Parrott leave the team either.”

(After making only two brief Premier League appearances for Tottenham, Parrott was sold at age 22 to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. After scoring 51 goals in 97 appearances for that club, he transferred to Real Betis this year for 17 million pounds.)

“If Harry Kane wins the Champions League or wins the Ballon d'Or, I know what he will say. It won't be a rehearsed answer, but sincere words coming straight from his heart. In truth, he would genuinely prefer winning the Champions League with Bayern over receiving the Ballon d'Or as an individual award. Do you understand what kind of mindset we are talking about? That is what makes him great. If Kane wins the Ballon d'Or, my respect for that award will increase immensely. If he doesn't, it won't.

Kane is devoted to his team with all his heart and soul. That is why he can serve as a wonderful role model for any young footballer. But if people willing to fight for them are not found in academies, these lads will not get those same opportunities.”