Why Harry Kane Was Let Go by Arsenal: Quotes Come Back Before Bayern Munich Match
Harry Kane is now known as one of the best strikers ever, but things could have gone very differently if Arsenal hadn’t let him go from their academy when he was just eight years old.
On Wednesday evening (October 21), Kane will try to add more goals to his amazing record when his team, Bayern Munich, plays against Arsenal in the Champions League.
During his 19 years at Tottenham Hotspur, Kane became the club’s top scorer before moving to Bayern in 2023. He scored 14 goals in 19 games against Arsenal while playing for Spurs.
The 33-year-old has faced Arsenal three times since joining Bayern, including scoring in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in April 2024.
Right now, Kane is one of the leading players in the running for the Ballon d’Or, alongside Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. Another great game against Arsenal could really boost his chances of winning the award.
Even though he became a Tottenham legend after being rejected by Arsenal as a kid, that early setback only motivated him more to show the north London club what they missed out on.
Kane said he was released from Arsenal because he was “small” for his age. But he used that as a challenge to join Spurs and catch up physically with the other players.
In a 2015 interview, Kane explained, “It’s hard to know what a player will become at that age. I was just small for my age and a late developer. But as I grew older, I caught up, and things just took off.”
He’s also said that being let go gave him a strong “desire to prove them wrong.” Kane shared in 2024 that he almost got released by Spurs too and had to work hard to get his chance.
“I was eight when Arsenal released me. That built a desire to prove them wrong,” he said. “When I joined Spurs, I was close to being let go again. I wasn’t the player everyone expected to become what I am now. I had to fight hard for my place and opportunities. There were always doubters.”
Arsenal can only wonder what might have been after watching Kane become one of the best strikers in the world.
Looking back, a former Arsenal coach, Rob Massey, didn’t think Kane had what it took to be a professional back when he was in their academy.
Massey told talkSPORT in 2023, “We don’t have a crystal ball. Harry was a lovely kid – quiet and shy – but we didn’t believe he could be a professional footballer, so we made a mistake.”
He added that after being released at 11 or 12, Kane played only Sunday league football for a few years before Spurs picked him up at 15, and that’s when his career took off.
Since then, Kane has scored 462 career goals and is hoping to finally win the Champions League this season.