Harry Kane

Harry Kane

Harry Edward Kane MBE (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the England national team. Born and raised in the London district of Walthamstow, Kane began his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur, where, after fast progression through the team's youth academy, he was promoted to the senior team in 2009, at age 16. He did not initially feature for the side, and was loaned out several times to clubs across the English football pyramid, including Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City, and Norwich City.

Kane's involvement at Tottenham began to increase following the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as head coach in 2014. In his first full season at the club, Kane scored 31 goals across all competitions, and finished as the league's second highest goalscorer, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award. After the following campaign, at age 23, Kane finished as league's top goalscorer, and guided the club to UEFA Champions League qualification. In the 2016–17 season, Kane also completed the season as the league's top goalscorer, and helped the club finish as the competition's runners-up, winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award in the process. In the 2017–18 season, Kane registered his best campaign statistically to date, with 41 goals scored in 48 games in all competitions, and in the following season, he finished as a runner-up in the UEFA Champions League.

Kane has won six Premier League Player of the Month awards (one behind record holder Sergio Agüero) and has been selected for the PFA Team of the Year four times. In November 2019, he became Tottenham's third-highest all-time goalscorer in official competitions.

Kane has scored 32 goals in 45 games for England. He appeared and scored at every youth level and made his senior debut in March 2015, aged 21, scoring in that game. Kane featured and scored during UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, but although he played in the tournament itself he did not score. He was made the squad's captain from May 2018, prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament Kane led England to fourth place, their highest finish since 1990. He also finished as the top goalscorer, winning the Golden Boot.

Early life

Harry Edward Kane was born in Walthamstow, London to Kim and Patrick Kane and has one older brother, Charlie. He has Irish ancestry through his father who is from Galway. The family moved to Chingford where he attended Larkswood Primary Academy until 2004, followed by Chingford Foundation School (also attended by David Beckham). He played football from a young age, joining a local club, Ridgeway Rovers, when he was six in 1999. Kane talked about footballing in the family:

I think the sporting genes come from my Mum's side of the family although the topic is a hot debate in the Kane household. Dad probably won't like me saying that, but I think my granddad Eric on my Mum's side was quite a good footballer, and played at a decent level.

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". 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. Other childhood sporting influences he cited include David Beckham and Jermain Defoe. 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.'"

Club career

Tottenham Hotspur

2004–10: 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. Manager Arsène Wenger stated in November 2015 that he was disappointed that Arsenal chose to release Kane. He also had a trial at Tottenham Hotspur but was not initially successful, 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. He first played at Tottenham as a midfielder – initially in a holding position, then as an attacking midfielder. In his early days at the club, he did not stand out as a player as he was not big nor was he particularly quick, but those who worked with him noted his constant desire to improve various aspects of his game. 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. In July 2009, on his 16th birthday, he signed a scholarship contract with Tottenham.

In the 2009–10 season, Kane played 22 times for Tottenham's under-18s, scoring 18 goals. Kane appeared on the first-team bench twice during the 2009–10 season. Both matches were in home domestic cup victories: one the League Cup fixture against Everton on 27 October 2009 and the other in the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bolton Wanderers on 24 February 2010. He signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2010.

2010–14: Loan spells across England

On 7 January 2011, Kane moved to Leyton Orient on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season. Manager Russell Slade was "happy" at his arrival and said, "I'm sure he will have an impact with us over the coming months". He made his first-team debut for Orient on 15 January, coming on as a substitute for Scott McGleish in the 73rd minute of a 1–1 draw away to Rochdale. 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 freekick in the 57th minute as Orient eventually won 4–0. Slade said that he was "delighted" that Kane scored a goal on his first league start. 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. He ended the season scoring five goals in 18 matches.

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 penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald, who then saved the penalty which Kane took himself. 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.

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. 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. Kane scored nine goals in 27 matches which resulted in him being named Millwall's Young Player of the Year for 2011–12. 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.

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. On 18 August, he made his Premier League debut, against Newcastle United. Coming as an 86th-minute substitute for Sandro, Tottenham lost the match 2–1.

On 31 August 2012, Kane joined Premier League team Norwich City on a season-long loan, making his debut as a substitute against West Ham United. Kane suffered an injury, breaking a metatarsal bone, in the League Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers in only his second appearance. 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. 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.

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. He marked his home debut with a goal against Blackburn Rovers, in a 3–0 win on 26 February 2013. 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.

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. Tottenham won 8–7 on penalties, with Kane taking and converting the fifth of the nine sets of spot-kicks.

On 7 April 2014, Kane was given his first Premier League start for Tottenham, in a 5–1 win against Sunderland, and scored his first Premier League goal in the 59th minute of the match. 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. 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.

2014–15: PFA Young Player of the Year

Kane (left) playing for Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea in 2015. Kane scored twice in a 5–3 Spurs win.

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. 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. He scored a late goal against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup to secure a 3–1 victory for Tottenham on 24 September 2014. 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. Kane was forced to play in goal for the final three minutes of the match, after Hugo Lloris had been sent off with no substitutions remaining, and conceded a goal when he dropped a free-kick from Jerónimo Barrales.

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. A week later, Kane was selected in Spurs' starting line-up for the first time in the Premier League season, as the team lost 2–1 at home to Stoke City. 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. Between 14 and 26 December, Kane scored in three consecutive 2–1 wins for Tottenham, against Swansea City, Burnley and Leicester City respectively. On 1 January 2015, Kane scored twice and won a penalty as Tottenham defeated rivals and league leaders Chelsea 5–3, and he scored a further two in a 3–0 away win against West Bromwich Albion on 31 January, including one from a penalty. 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. His performances led to him being named as the Premier League Player of the Month for January 2015.

On 2 February 2015, Kane signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract with the club. Five days later, he scored both of Tottenham's goals as they came from behind to defeat Arsenal in the North London derby, his 21st and 22nd goals of the season across all competitions. After scoring against Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham United, Kane was again named as the Premier League Player of the Month for February 2015, becoming only the fourth player to win the award in consecutive months. Tottenham lost the League Cup Final 2–0 to rivals Chelsea on 1 March 2015, which Kane described as the "worst feeling in the world". Twenty days later, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4–3 home win over his former loan club Leicester; this brought him to 19 league goals in the season, making him the division's top scorer.

On 5 April, Kane captained Tottenham for the first time in a 0–0 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor. Two weeks later, he scored his 30th goal of the season in a 3–1 win against Newcastle United at St James' Park, making him the first Tottenham player to reach that milestone since Gary Lineker in 1991–92. Later that month, he was included as one of two forwards in the PFA Team of the Year, alongside Chelsea's Diego Costa. He was also voted the PFA Young Player of the Year. On 24 May 2015, he headed in an Eric Dier cross for the only goal of an away win over Everton on the final day of the season to confirm fifth place for Tottenham, thus qualifying them to the group stage of the following season's UEFA Europa League. It was his 21st goal of the league campaign, equalling a Premier League club record alongside Teddy Sheringham, Jürgen Klinsmann and Gareth Bale. At the end of the season, Kane remarked that he had done more in the single campaign than he had expected to do in his whole career.

2015–16: Premier League top goalscorer

Kane captaining Spurs in 2016. He inherited the number 10 jersey at the start of the 2015–16 season

On Tottenham's pre-season tour of Australia, Kane attracted numerous fans while visiting the Westfield Sydney shopping centre, resulting in the club sending a minibus to escort him away. On 29 July 2015, Tottenham were the guests in the 2015 MLS All-Star Game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. They lost 2–1 to the MLS All-Stars, with Kane scoring their consolation goal in the 37th minute after beating a challenge from Omar Gonzalez, and he was later substituted in the 77th minute.

Kane's squad number was changed from 18 to 10, previously worn by Emmanuel Adebayor. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said that he changed the number "to become a club legend". With Adebayor and Roberto Soldado having been put up for sale, he began the season as the club's only forward, and the third-choice captain behind Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen. After a 748-minute drought, he scored his first goal of the season on 26 September 2015 as Tottenham came from behind to defeat leaders Manchester City 4–1. Eight days later, he scored an own goal from Jonjo Shelvey's corner kick away to Swansea City, but Tottenham fought back to a 2–2 draw.

On 25 October 2015, Kane scored a hat-trick, including a penalty which he won himself, as Tottenham came from conceding a first-minute goal to triumph 5–1 away to Bournemouth at Dean Court. Eight days later, he recorded his fifth goal of the season with the final goal in a 3–1 win at home to Aston Villa. On 8 November 2015, he gave Tottenham a half-time lead against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, albeit in a 1–1 draw; this goal past Petr Čech was from his first touch of Danny Rose's long pass.

Eighteen days after that, he recorded his ninth goal in six matches, the only one of an away match against Qarabağ FK, qualifying Tottenham to the knockout stages of the season's UEFA Europa League. On 19 December 2015, Kane made his 100th appearance for the club in a 2–0 win away to Southampton, and scored his 10th goal in his last 10 matches. A week later, he added two more in a 3–0 win over former loan employers Norwich, putting him on 27 Premier League goals for the year 2015, breaking Sheringham's club record. On 10 January 2016, he scored his 50th goal for Tottenham in a 2–2 draw against Leicester in the third round of the FA Cup.

Kane was Premier League Player of the Month for the third time in March 2016, after scoring five goals in four games, including one in the North London derby. After scoring his 22nd league goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on 2 April, Kane became the club's highest goalscorer in a single Premier League season, with six games of the season remaining.

Kane ended the season winning the Premier League Golden Boot, finishing one goal ahead of Sergio Agüero and Jamie Vardy with 25 goals. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive season, as he helped Tottenham to a third-place finish, and UEFA Champions League qualification.

2016–17: League runner-up and second Golden Boot

Kane (centre) with his Spurs teammates before a Premier League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December 2016

In the absence of Hugo Lloris, Kane captained Tottenham in their opening home match of the 2016–17 season, assisting Victor Wanyama's winning goal as Spurs beat Crystal Palace 1–0 in a London derby at White Hart Lane. He opened his scoring account in the fourth matchday of the Premier League season, providing the final goal in a 4–0 win away to Stoke City.

On 14 September 2016, Kane made his UEFA Champions League debut in Spurs' 2–1 loss to Monaco at Wembley Stadium. Four days later, he scored the winning goal against Sunderland in the Premier League, but had to be helped off the field after twisting his right ankle attempting a tackle of Papy Djilobodji. Reports indicated that the ligaments in Kane's ankle were damaged, ruling him out for six-to-eight weeks. After missing five league matches and three in the Champions League group phase, Kane made his return at rivals Arsenal on 6 November, scoring from the penalty spot to equalise in a 1–1 draw. On 22 November, he scored his first Champions League goal in the return fixture against Monaco at the Stade Louis II, a game which saw Spurs eliminated from the competition with a 2–1 loss.

On 1 December 2016, Kane signed a new contract with Tottenham, keeping him at the club until 2022. On 1 January 2017, made his 100th Premier League appearance, scoring the first Premier League goal of the new year against Watford on the 27-minute mark, which he extended to a brace after scoring again in the 33rd minute. In his first match after the birth of his daughter, Kane scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against West Brom on 14 January. In the fifth round of the 2016–17 FA Cup on 19 February 2017, Kane scored all three goals as Tottenham beat Fulham 3–0. This meant his fifth career hat-trick, and his second in 2017. On 26 February 2017, Kane once again scored a hat-trick as Tottenham beat Stoke 4–0, his third hat-trick in nine games, and his second in consecutive domestic games. The first of these goals was his 100th in club football. He was named Player of the Month for the fourth time in his career in February 2017.

In March 2017, he injured his ankle in an FA Cup match against former loan club Millwall. On 15 April, Kane scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season against Bournemouth on his first start in a month after returning from injury. This made him the fourth player in Premier League history to achieve 20 goals in three consecutive seasons, after Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

On 20 April, Kane was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive season. He was also included in the six player shortlists for the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards. Two days later, he scored in Tottenham's 4–2 FA Cup semi-final loss to rivals Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. In the last ever match at White Hart Lane on 14 May, Harry Kane scored the 2–0 goal as Tottenham beat Manchester United 2–1. With two games remaining of the season, Kane stood on 22 goals, two fewer than Romelu Lukaku. With a combined seven goals in the last two fixtures however, a 6–1 win over reigning champions Leicester City and a 7–1 win against Hull City, Kane finished as the top scorer of the Premier League on 29 goals, and thus won his second consecutive Golden Boot, becoming only the fifth player to do so.

2017–18: Record breaking year

Kane during a pre-season game for Spurs at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, July 2017

After not finding the back of the net in Tottenham's first three games, Kane scored a brace in three of his next four appearances for the club across all competitions. His opening goal against Everton on 9 September was his 100th overall for the club, coming in his 169th appearance. On 26 September, Kane scored his first UEFA Champions League hat-trick in a 3–0 group stage win against Cypriot champions APOEL. He was awarded Premier League Player of the Month for the fifth time, and named September 2017 – in which he scored 13 goals in 10 club and international games – as the best month of his career.

I think he is in that level, with Batistuta, I would put Harry Kane in with Batistuta. Yes, yes, yes, yes – Batistuta was a killer. And very strong mentality, very strong shot, great professional, I think yes, you can compare.

— Pochettino compares Kane with Gabriel Batistuta, September 2017.

On 23 December, Kane equalled Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, having scored a hat-trick in a 0–3 away win to Burnley. He surpassed Shearer's record the following game with another hat-trick in the 5–2 home win against Southampton, ending the year with 39 Premier League goals. The hat-trick, his sixth of the year in the Premier League (eighth in all competitions), also made him the first player in Premier League history to score six hat-tricks in a year. With a total of 56 goals scored in all competitions for the year, he also became Europe's top goal scorer of 2017, breaking the seven-year dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as Europe's top goalscorer in a calendar year.

In January 2018, he scored twice in the 4–0 home win against Everton, and became Tottenham's top goalscorer in the Premier League era, breaking Teddy Sheringham's record of 97 Premier League goals for the club. On 4 February, Kane scored an added-time penalty to equalise in a 2–2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield for his 100th Premier League goal; he achieved the century of league goals in 141 games, beaten only by Alan Shearer's 124. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the fourth consecutive season in April 2018, alongside fellow forwards Mohamed Salah and Sergio Agüero. On 8 June, Kane signed a new contract to keep him at the club until 2024.

2018–19: UEFA Champions League runner-up and injuries

Kane started the season opener against Newcastle United without scoring, before opening his account against Fulham the following weekend. In doing so he ended his hoodoo of failing to score a Premier League goal in the month of August. He also scored for the first time at Old Trafford in the following game as Tottenham won 3–0 in what was only their third away win against Manchester United since 1992, as well as the biggest away win against the club in 46 years. He scored the opening goal against Cardiff on 1 January 2019, and with that goal, he became the first player to have scored a goal against every Premier League team he has faced. On 13 January 2019, in a match against Manchester United, Kane injured his ankle ligaments late in the game, thereby missing some crucial games including the Champions League last-16 home game.

He returned to the first team squad on 23 February 2019, in a match against Burnley, and was immediately placed in the starting XI. He scored the equalizing goal in the 65th minute to tie the score 1-1, although the match ended a 1–2 defeat. He scored the only goal in the Champions League last-16 away tie against Borussia Dortmund to ensure a 4–0 win on aggregate and progress to the club's second quarter-final in the Champions League. The goal also made him the club's top goalscorer in European competitions with 24 goals scored. During the first leg of the quarter-final in the Champions League on 9 April 2019 against Manchester City, he again suffered an ankle injury, which ended his season domestically in the Premier League. He did, however, return for the Champions League final on 1 June 2019, although his selection after his injury became a subject of debate as Tottenham lost 2–0 to Liverpool.

2019–20: Current season

Kane started Tottenham's first game of the 2019–20 season, scoring twice in a 3–1 home win against Aston Villa. Kane's first goal of the game was his first at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. On 1 January 2020, in the away match against Southampton that ended in a 1–0 defeat, Kane suffered a hamstring injury. The damage to his hamstring required an operation which would see him out of action until April.

International career

Youth

Kane warming up for England at the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship

In January 2010, Kane was called up to play for the England under-17 team for the Algarve Tournament in Portugal. Kane missed the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship due to illness, with England going on to win the tournament in his absence. He later moved up to the under-19s and scored twice in a 6–1 victory over Albania on 8 October 2010. Kane played a large role in the England under-19s progression to the semi-finals of the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Estonia. Kane scored the winner against France in the final group stage match to ensure the team a safe passage through to the semi-finals. In total Kane appeared 14 times for England U19s and contributed 6 goals during that period.

On 28 May 2013, he was named in manager Peter Taylor's 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut on 16 June, in a 3–0 win in a warm-up match against Uruguay. He assisted Luke Williams' goal in the opening group-stage match on 23 June 2013 against Iraq. He then scored in the following match against Chile, collecting a pass after work by Ross Barkley and firing in from the edge of the penalty area. On 13 August 2013, Kane made his debut for the under-21s against Scotland. In that match, he came on as a substitute in the 58th minute, and England won 6–0. On 10 October, he scored a hat-trick for England under-21s against San Marino during 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification. He continued to score prolifically, with his brace against France marking 13 goals in 12 matches for the under-21s.

Kane was named in the England under-21 squad for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the Czech Republic, despite opposition from his club manager Mauricio Pochettino. He played every minute of England's campaign at the tournament, which ended with them eliminated in last place in their group.

Senior

To go out at Wembley and score is what you dream about as a kid. I've had so many good moments this year that it's hard to choose a favourite, but I think that tops them all.

— Kane speaking about his England debut.

Kane was also eligible for the Republic of Ireland through his father, who was born in Galway, but in August 2014 he ruled out switching allegiance, saying that he wanted to break into the England senior team.

After a good run of form with Tottenham and being the third top goal scorer in the Premier League with 16 goals, on 19 March 2015 Kane was named by manager Roy Hodgson in the England squad to face Lithuania in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match and Italy in a friendly. He made his international debut at Wembley Stadium, replacing Wayne Rooney in the second half against Lithuania, and scored just 80 seconds later with a header from a Raheem Sterling cross. On 30 March 2015, the day before the Italy match, Hodgson announced that Kane would start alongside Rooney, and he played the full 90 minutes of the 1–1 draw at Juventus Stadium.

Kane (in white) playing for England in 2015. He wears the number 9 jersey for the national team.

In his next appearance on 5 September 2015, substitute Kane scored the fifth of England's six goals in a win over San Marino which qualified them for UEFA Euro 2016. Kane scored his third England goal against Switzerland in another qualifier three days later, which they won 2–0. On 12 October 2015, as England finished their qualification campaign with a 10th win from 10 matches, Kane's shot hit the post for an own goal by Lithuanian goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis in a 3–0 away victory.

On 22 May 2016, Kane opened the scoring in a 2–1 friendly win over Turkey at the City of Manchester Stadium, but later missed a penalty. He was the first England player to fail to score from the penalty spot during a game since Frank Lampard in 2010, and the first to miss the target since Peter Crouch in 2006. At the European Championship in France that June, Kane was assigned to take corner kicks, a tactic which was criticised by pundits, but defended by Hodgson, who said that Kane was the best for the role.

On 10 June 2017, Kane captained England for the first time in their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier with Scotland at Hampden Park, scoring an added-time equaliser to rescue a 2–2 draw. On 5 October, he scored an added-time winner against Slovenia which confirmed England's qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Kane (right) and John Stones celebrating a goal against Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Kane was named in the 23-man England squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was made captain. On 18 June, Kane scored both of England's goals in a 2–1 win over Tunisia, his winning goal coming deep in injury time, in the team's opening group game of the World Cup. In the next group game on 24 June, Kane scored a hat-trick in England's 6–1 win over Panama, which was England's largest ever World Cup victory. With his three goals against Panama, Kane became the third England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, after Geoff Hurst against West Germany in the 1966 final and Gary Lineker against Poland in 1986.

Kane (centre) during England's penalty shoot-out win over Colombia in the 2018 World Cup

Kane scored his sixth goal of the finals as England overcame Colombia in the Round of 16. Scoring a penalty in a match that finished 1–1 after 120 minutes, also scoring in the penalty shoot-out as England prevailed 4–3; this was the first time that England had managed to win a penalty shoot-out at the World Cup. Kane didn't score again for the rest of the tournament as England finished in fourth place after losing 2–0 Belgium in the third place playoff. However, his six goals in the tournament earned him the Golden Boot as the top goalscorer of the World Cup, the first England player to win the award since Gary Lineker became the first to do so in the 1986 tournament.

The September International Break saw the introduction of the UEFA Nations League. England's first match was on 8 September 2018 against Spain, which Kane captained for the full 90 minutes in a game which saw England lose 2–1. On 15 October England played Spain for the second time in the group, this time running out 3–2 winners with Kane assisting two of the three goals. On 14 November, prior to a friendly against the United States (US), Kane presented Wayne Rooney with England's Golden Boot in recognition of Rooney's 53 England goals, a record that makes him England's all-time top goal scorer. In an interview following the match, which ended in a 3–0 win for England, Rooney revealed that he wanted Harry Kane to present him the award as he believed that Kane will one day beat it. Three days after the US match, Kane captained England in their final Nations League group match against Croatia as the Three Lions won 2–1. Kane first assisted Jesse Lingard's equaliser then scored the winning goal which saw England top the group and qualify for the finals in June 2019.

In the qualifying round of UEFA Euro 2020, Kane captained the 1,000th match played by England, and scored a hat-trick against Montenegro. This brought his tally to 31, which placed him 6th in the all-time list of England's top goalscorers, but also made him the highest-ever scoring England captain. The 7–0 win also secured England's qualification to UEFA Euro 2020 knockout phase. Kane was in fine form throughout the qualifying process, becoming the first Englishman to score in every game in a qualifying campaign, registering a total of twelve goals - the joint-most for an England player in a single year.

Style of play

Development

I played in different positions as a kid and it helped me learn different parts of the game. Playing alone up front means you have to be good at so much more than taking chances. I know, in a game, I am going to receive the ball with my back to goal, and that the team will need me to link up and bring others into play.

— Kane on his footballing education, 2016

Kane's former youth coach Alex Inglethorpe has said of him:

When he first came into the under-18s as a 15 year old, he stood out in the sense he looked a bit gangly. He moved slightly awkwardly, he was a bit cumbersome. But look closer, he had a lot of ability, a great technique. I think he surprised people how good he was. Tactically he was very flexible. He often played in midfield. I remember seeing him once playing as a holding midfielder.

While a teenager, Kane initially struggled in Tottenham's academy, as partially due to his date of birth in July, he was not as physically developed as other players, nor was he as quick. However, he gained the respect of coaches with his technique and desire for self-improvement.

When profiling Kane in February 2013, Talksport said that he was best as a second striker, despite also having ability as a centre forward or in a wide position. They wrote that he preferred to place his shots, although he could also score from distance.^[ The report also noted that he had good pace, but was weak in the air and had not scored on his loan at Norwich. Initially a back-up to £26 million Spanish import Roberto Soldado and frequently loaned out, Kane was eventually made Tottenham's starting forward by manager Mauricio Pochettino. Under Pochettino, Kane said that his game has improved through the tough training techniques instituted by the manager.^[ He also strives to achieve marginal gain in order to maximise his potential by tweaking various aspects of his training and preparations as well as nutrition.

Analysis

He seems to have that natural ability to get goals. He's also young, fresh and his attitude appears to be very, very good. What I like about him, is that he is willing to run in behind defenders, as well as go short. When he gets opportunities he inveariably [sic] takes them. He wants to get his shot away very quickly, which is good to see. It looks as if he could have a very good future in the game.

— Alan Shearer, the Premier League's all-time top scorer, on Kane in March 2015

Former Tottenham manager David Pleat described Kane as an "old-fashioned traditional centre-forward". Clive Allen, who coached him at Tottenham, stated that "one thing I'd say about him, which unfortunately you don't say about a lot of young footballers, is that he had a passion for the game. He loves football, he loves playing, he loves scoring goals". His former Tottenham under-21 coach Les Ferdinand likened Kane's movement to their former forward Teddy Sheringham, and the power and accuracy of his shots to Alan Shearer.

A tall and physical striker, Kane's style of play has been compared to that of former Tottenham forward Jürgen Klinsmann, a comparison Kane called flattering in February 2015. In March 2015, Football Association chairman Greg Dyke named Kane as the benchmark for clubs producing young English players. Shearer said that month that the three best strikers playing in the league were Kane, Diego Costa and Sergio Agüero.

After Tottenham's victory over Chelsea in January 2015, blogger Chris Miller wrote, "Nobody thought he was the guy who was going to give that performance against Chelsea". In February 2015, BBC Sport wrote that Kane was best as a lone striker, with his "hold-up play and close control" making him apt in other positions as well. Also that month, Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy said that the England team should be built around Kane, stating, "I'm struggling to see a weakness in the lad's game". ESPN reporter Michael Cox stated that "Kane was initially considered a pure goal scorer, he's actually a good all-round player, often playing as an attacking midfielder", pointing out that during the 2018 FIFA World Cup "Kane's contributions in deeper positions were outstanding, his back-to-goal work as impressive as ever". Indeed, although Kane is predominantly known for his clinical finishing and prolific goalscoring ability as an out-and-out striker, he is also known for his vision, technique, link-up play, and passing ability, which enables him to drop deep, bring his teammates into play, and create chances for other players; as such he is also capable of playing in a more creative role as a number 10.

Media and sponsorship

Kane has a sponsorship deal with sportswear and equipment supplier Nike: he wears Nike Hypervenom football boots. Following his 100th Premier League goal in February 2018 Nike launched the special-edition Hypervenom 3 HK. In 2018 he featured in a Nike commercial, 'Nothing Beats A Londoner', along with other sports stars based in the city, including quadruple Olympic champion Mo Farah and Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard, highlighting London's diversity. Ahead of UEFA Euro 2016, Kane featured in advertisements for Mars Bars and Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, the latter alongside Antoine Griezmann, Mario Götze and Cesc Fàbregas.

Kane features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series: he was named in the Team of the Year in FIFA 18, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack. Kane and Camila Cabello announced the winner of the "Best International Male Solo Artist" award at the 2018 Brit Awards at the O₂ Arena on 21 February, namely Kendrick Lamar.

Personal life

In an interview given in February 2015, Kane said that he was in a relationship with Katie Goodland, whom he has known since childhood. He told Esquire magazine, "We went to school together, so she's seen my whole career. Of course, she's finding it a little crazy. I think she's even been in the papers a couple of times taking the dogs out." On 1 July 2017, Kane announced his engagement to Goodland on his Twitter account, and announced in June 2019 that they had married.

Kane and Goodland announced the birth of their first child, Ivy Jane Kane, on 8 January 2017. In January 2018, Kane announced that he and Kate were expecting their second child. The birth of their second daughter, Vivienne Jane Kane, was announced on 8 August 2018.

Kane and Goodland have two Labrador retrievers, Brady and Wilson, named after Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, quarterbacks of the NFL's New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, respectively. Kane has cited The Brady 6, a documentary about Brady, as an inspiration for his development. In 2019 Kane expressed an interest in becoming a kicker in the NFL "in 10 to 12 years."

Kane abstains from alcohol during the football season, and starting from 2017, he hired a full-time chef to optimise his nutrition. He plays golf in his free time.

Kane was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to football.