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Harry Kane: Why leaving Arsenal was the making of England captain and Tottenham star
HARRY KANE leaving Arsenal made him more driven and determined to make it as a professional footballer.
That is according to Kane’s former academy coach at Arsenal Alex Welsh.
The striker started out as a goalkeeper and began his time at the Gunners academy in that position.
But Welsh says Kane preferred scoring rather than stopping goals, which turned out to help him further down his career.
Arsenal released Kane at 11 years old and Welsh reckons that was the making of him.
I think leaving Arsenal made Harry more driven and more determined to make it
“I first met Harry at Arsenal in the academy and he was a very competent goalkeeper,” he told the BBC.
“But his real desire was to score goals.
“And I’m absolutely convinced the reason why he’s such a clinical striker, he intuitively knows what a goalkeeper doesn’t like.
“He shoots early before the goalkeeper gets set, he shoots round players, through legs.
“I think leaving Arsenal made Harry more driven and more determined to make it.”
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Dave Bricknall coached Harry Kane at Ridgeway Rovers, the club he was at before he moved to Arsenal.
And he could not understand why the Tottenham star was allowed to leave the Gunners at such a young age.
“At the time I believe he was second top scorer for Arsenal behind Benik Afobe,” Bricknall said.
“And then for some reason they’ve decided at 11 years of age that they didn’t want him anymore.”