Tottenham's Golden Boy Harry Kane leaves in search of silverware
It's official - Harry Kane has left Tottenham Hotspur to join Bayern Munich. As inevitable as it was, it's certainly the end of an era. The talisman, the top scorer, the club legend has left the Lilywhites.
It's very rare that someone even remotely associated with Arsenal in any way gets a legendary status at Tottenham, but Harry Kane achieved that, one of his many achievements.
Rob Massey, Arsenal's academy coach back then, didn't believe that the young boy would make it big in the footballing world. Whether this was Massey's poor judgment or whether this rejection added more fuel to Kane's determination to push him to succeed is anyone's guess. Maybe it was a bit of both.
Nevertheless, Harry Kane joined Tottenham's academy in 2004, but it wasn't going to be smooth sailing for him after that either. He lacked speed and wasn't the strongest kid either, but one thing he had more than anyone else was determination. He continued working on the other aspects of his game, and finally, a growth spurt saw him gain some height and strength.
Harry Kane was sent out on loan to Leyton Orient in January 2011 but returned that summer to make his senior Tottenham debut against Hearts in the UEFA Europa League. He won a penalty in the game, but in what is a shocking occurrence now, he missed it.
The Englishman scored his first Spurs goal against Shamrock Rovers in a 4-0 Europa League win. Kane then spent the next couple of years on loan at Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City. He returned to Tottenham in 2013 and scored the equaliser in a 2-2 draw in a League Cup tie against Hull City. It was his first act of rescuing Spurs, a task he would become accustomed to over the next few years.
The then Spurs manager Tim Sherwood placed his bets on the young striker, giving him his first Premier League start in a 5-1 win over Sunderland in April 2014. Kane scored in the game, as he did in the next two against West Bromwich Albion and Fulham.
There it began: the journey from a bench player to becoming one of the best strikers in the world. Harry Kane scored 21 goals in 34 games in his first full Premier League season.
Many called him a one-season wonder but boy, were they wrong. He scored 25 goals in the next season, winning his first Premier League Golden Boot. He retained the award by scoring 29 goals in 30 games the next season.
Harry Kane, a "one-season wonder", is now Tottenham's all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 games. He reached the record-breaking 267th goal by scoring the winner against treble-winners Manchester City last season, fitting for a world-class player.
During his time at Spurs, it didn't matter if the club struggled or did well, Kane remained consistent throughout, banging in goals for fun, but he wasn't all about the goals. The magic Harry Kane created on the pitch with his assists, passes, hold-up play and dribbling was mesmerising, to say the least.
After Christian Eriksen's departure, the goalscoring machine also took up the role of being a chief creator. He created for himself, and he created for others in an astounding fashion, too.
Despite his individual brilliance, Harry Kane couldn't win a single trophy with Tottenham. Not to say he didn't have his chances, though.
He started in the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019. Many believe was a wrong decision, given he had just recovered from an injury before the final. It proved to be so, as Spurs lost 2-0.
They also reached the Carabao Cup final in 2021, but incredibly, manager Jose Mourinho was sacked a week before the final against Manchester City, and Spurs inevitably lost.
Maybe, it just wasn't to be. Maybe just watching Harry Kane don the Lilywhite jersey every match day, creating magic with the ball, pulling the club out of numerous depths and reaching for the stars had to do it for Tottenham fans.
Nevertheless, how glorious and how wonderful it is to know as a Spurs fan that Harry Kane played for my club!
What's next for Harry Kane and Tottenham?
Spurs fans have seen many legendary players leave over the years, be it Glenn Hoddle way back or more recently Gareth Bale. They have arguably coped well and found a way to compete despite their departures, but that does that make it easier to deal with Harry Kane's loss? The answer is a resounding no.
While many clubs have seen great players come and go, a player that comes through the club and achieves so much is very rare in football. Harry Kane was Spurs' identity in recent years and carried the club along with Son Heung-Min.
A model professional, a family man, a gem of a person on and off the field, and an inspiration to his teammates all around.
Losing Harry Kane was always going to be painful for Tottenham, more so when there was finally some optimism of a rebuild, but that'ss perhaps what softens the blow a little, too.
In pre-season under Ange Postecoglou this summer, Spurs have shown signs of returning to their identity. Fans have seen free-flowing football, attacking dominance, playing out from the back and just the sheer willingness to take risks.
Losing one of the best strikers in the world is never going to be good, but, arguably, this is a good time to move on for both parties. Postecoglou's system doesn't need a Harry Kane to do everything but rather a typical No. 9 to sit in the box and just score.
Maybe Richarlison, Brazil's starting striker and Son Heung-Min, who is one of the most lethal finishers in the game, can find their form again.
Tottenham have signed Argentinian talent Alejo Veliz and have also been linked with Gift Orban. So, one would assume that the club hierarchy knew that Kane's departure was imminent and have put contingency plans in place.
Tottenham's slogan is "To Dare Is To Do".
Fair to say, the last few years have been far from justifying it. However, this summer and this decision is perhaps the closest they have come to "Daring" in recent times. Tottenham now go into the new season with major changes, optimism and disappointments. What it translates into will only be known in a year's time.
For Harry Kane, meanwhile, it's an opportunity to finally get his hands on silverware. He could help Bayern Munich win their 12th Bundesliga title in a row, but that would not be his and the club's only aim. The German giants are now arguably one of the frontrunners for the UEFA Champions League title.
With this move, Kane has compromised his chances of becoming Premier League's all-time top scorer, when he was just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer. But perhaps, if he wins the Champions League, it will all be worth it for him, or maybe, he could even return in the future to break that record.
Regardless, a glorious era comes to an end. While it was not typically successful in the eyes of many, it was one of the most beautiful periods for every Tottenham fan.
From his passion after scoring THAT goal against Arsenal in 2016 to dropping a historic performance against Manchester City in 2022, Spurs fans will always cherish the moments he has produced.
Whichever part of the world Harry Kane might be in, Tottenham fans will always sing loud and proud:
"He's One of Our Own, He's One of Our Own, Harry Kane, He's One of Our Own!"