Harry Kane Reflects on Arsenal Rejection and Current Set-Piece Challenges

An image of Harry Kane celebrating Arsenal’s Premier League victory in 2004 has circulated on social media for some time. In this well-known photograph, Kane, wearing an Arsenal shirt, is seen alongside a fellow academy player, with his head painted in the club’s iconic red. Additionally, a viral image shows Kane posing for a team photo with the under-8 squad in full Gunners attire. However, his tenure at the club was short-lived.

The Mirror recently interviewed coaches from Arsenal’s Hale End Academy in 2004 about Kane’s rejection. They noted that the future England captain was perceived to have ‘puppy fat’ at the time and was not regarded as a particularly strong runner or athlete.

During this period, Kane competed with Benik Afobe, who was seen as a more promising athlete. Despite Afobe’s initial expectations, he failed to make a significant impact on the Arsenal first team and ultimately pursued a series of loan spells before securing a permanent move to Wolves.

Kane faced his own challenges after joining Tottenham at the age of 11. His early career was marked by limited impact as he spent several seasons on loan at Leyton Orient, Norwich City, Leicester City, and Millwall.

Kane has consistently aimed to prove Arsenal wrong throughout his career, achieving notable success with 15 goals in 21 appearances against the Gunners. He has frequently excelled in the North London derby for Tottenham and played a pivotal role in Bayern Munich’s victory over Arsenal in the 2023-24 Champions League quarter-finals. In September 2024, Kane reflected on his motivation to compete against his former club, stating: “Yeah, probably throughout my whole career, really. Starting from when I was eight years old being released from Arsenal. That might have built a bit of desire to prove to them when I was that age.”

As he prepares for an upcoming Champions League match against Mikel Arteta’s squad, Kane expressed concerns about Arsenal’s set-piece capabilities and urged his teammates to prioritize defensive strategies. He remarked to reporters: “Of course I follow the Premier League. Arsenal have done well so far in that department. We’ve prepared for Arsenal as usual. The best thing will be to not give them any set pieces, to control the game – and we need to defend better than we have recently when we do concede set pieces.”