The Guardian profiles Harry Kane's rise to become one of England's greatest players, timed to his six goals at the 2026 World Cup, which equal his 2018 tally. The piece matters because it draws on those who coached and worked with Kane in his early years to explain how a player whose talent did not always stand out grew into a contender for England's greatest ever No 9.

Those early figures recall Kane's resilience, self-belief and work ethic above raw ability. He began as a six-year-old who volunteered to go in goal at Ridgeway Rovers and even trained as a goalkeeper, before being released by Arsenal and initially by Tottenham. Called up to England's under-20s for a disappointing World Cup in Turkey, he later broke through at Spurs under Tim Sherwood and exploded under Mauricio Pochettino, who pushed him to improve his fitness and transformed him into a modern pressing forward. He went on to win three Premier League Golden Boots and became the striker around whom Gareth Southgate built successive England teams.