“WE WAnT TO WIn, THAT’S THE
ULTIMATE GOAL. WE nEED TO USE
THE MOMEnTUM WE’VE BUILT AnD
TRY TO DO SOMETHInG SPECIAL”
Clockwise from
top Euro 2020
Final hurt has left
Kane hungry for
success; showing
off his World Cup
Golden Boot; “If
you don’t sign for
the Villa, I’ll have
this MBE back...”32 July 2022 FourFourTwoso quickly – as soon as you look up and he’s saved it, the reaction was
a striker’s one. You’re always looking for the rebounds, or to score from
deflections. To see it bounce back out to me was a nice feeling – it just
fell to me and I was able to tuck it home. Those are the fine margins
in football. That one went my way.”THERE’S A MUSEUM FOR THAT
After scoring the goal that steered England to a first final in 55 years,
Kane converted his spot-kick rather more emphatically in the shootout
against Italy, only for things to go awry for Southgate’s side.
It’s left him hungry for more when the World Cup comes around
again, later this year. “Getting to a semi-final, getting to a final – we
want to win, that’s the ultimate goal,” he insists. “We need to try to
use the momentum we’re building and see if we can do something
special this year.”
If Kane were to lift the World Cup as England captain in December,
it would be a fitting moment for a player who has already achieved
so much individually. Those achievements are being marked in a new
exhibition dedicated to Kane at the Museum Of London, which began
on May 21 and runs until December. A wide range of his memorabilia
is on display, including shirts, awards and his MBE, which he received
in 2019, not long after his role in England’s run to the World Cup semis.do make it, you understand that there are other responsibilities that
come along the way. You have people scrutinising your every move,
people are listening to you, and you need to try to use your voice
for as much good as possible. Of course you’re not going to change
everything, but anything you can help with, that’s what I try to do.
“When I was growing up, I always looked at footballers – not just
what they were doing on the pitch, but off the pitch too. That’s what
makes a good role model. As a person, it’s really important for me to
show that image.”Today as we chat at the O2, hundreds of schoolchildren have been
milling around, ready for a Young Voices concert in the main arena.
It’s the next generation that Kane hopes to inspire with his exhibition.
“The museum wanted a Londoner to encourage boys and girls, and
it’s a fantastic way of doing that by having all my memorabilia there- my trophies, my Golden Boots,” he says. “It’s a place where people
can go and see what I’ve achieved, and the hard work and dedication
it took along the way. It wasn’t just straight to the top, I went on loan
first, and it will have all of that there in the museum.
“There’s my MBE, too: that’s one that I kind of... I don’t forget about
it, but because it’s not football-related you almost do. Receiving an
MBE? You never dream about stuff like that. You dream about scoring,
about being a captain, but to get that was a real surprise at the time.
I went down to the palace with my wife and family, and we shared
that moment – just nice recognition for bringing the country together,
which is what we did after the World Cup.
“I’ve got three children now and I think it’s important to inspire the
younger generation, to help them understand what it might take to
be a footballer – the ups and downs.”
Kane is well aware that his position as England’s captain and star
striker makes him a role model for others – something he’s always
taken very seriously. If his approach to the game has long earned him
respect on the field, he’s also become more vocal regarding off-field
matters in recent times – speaking out for equality, both over the issue
of taking the knee, and also when team-mates have been the victims
of racial abuse during matches.
During a pandemic that hit lower-league teams hard, he also helped
out his first loan club Leyton Orient with an unusual sponsorship deal;
Kane donated money and arranged for a range of good causes to be
emblazoned across the east London outfit’s shirt, including the NHS,
the Mind mental health charity, the Tommy Club for war veterans and
the Haven House children’s hospice.
“When you’re young, all you think about is making it as a footballer
and playing football, which is right,” he explains to FFT. “But when you
HARRY
KAnE