Harry Edward Kane (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. A prolific goalscorer with strong link play, Kane is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. 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. Kane has scored over 350 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 Pochettino became 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 2016–17 seasons, 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 2020–21 season 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.
Kane has scored 61 goals in 87 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.
Early life
Harry Edward Kane was born on 28 July 1993 in Walthamstow, London, to Kim (née Hogg) 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 Kane 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:
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.