On this day five years ago, 18-year-old Harry Kane made his debut for the team he grew up supporting. He has now established himself as a firm favourite amongst Spurs fans.
Not many people can claim to have predicted the rise that Harry Kane has enjoyed over the last five years.
On his full debut for Tottenham, against Motherwell five years ago, he put in a frustrating performance. Spurs sailed to a 5-0 win, but Kane would have left the field disappointed after a penalty he earned was saved by the ‘keeper.
He was later shipped out on loan to Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester, and under Andre Villas-Boas he could not get in the team ahead of the misfiring Roberto Soldado.
His perseverance impressed Mauricio Pochettino, and after some match-winning performances off the bench in late 2014, there was no way he could be left out of the starting XI.
In the two years since then he has become one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers, and is just one shy of his 50th Premier League goal, in just 84 appearances.
He played every game as Spurs finished third last season, and his 25 goals earned him the Golden Boot.
Though there are many to pick from, here are his five best moments playing for the Lilywhites.
October 23, 2014
Spurs would often pick a weakened side in the Europa League, and it was no different against Asteras Tripoli.
Kane started up front alongside the out of favour Emmanuel Adebayor, but it was the Englishman that impressed as he bagged his first career hat-trick.
When Hugo Lloris was sent off with three minutes remaining, Kane volunteered to go in goal.
It was perhaps lucky he had enjoyed a fine performance up the every end though, as he conceded Spurs’ only goal of the game two minutes later, when he dropped a free-kick.
November 2, 2014
With Soldado still being preferred as the first choice striker at the beginning of Pochettino’s Spurs career, Kane was restricted to brief appearances off the bench.
He had already displayed his talents as a match winner when he supplied Eric Dier with an assist in the last minute of the first game of the season as Spurs won 2-1
Tottenham won by the same scoreline against Aston Villa, but this time Kane went one better.
Replacing Adebayor in the 58th minute, Kane sent the away end into raptures with a last minute free-kick that won the game 2-1.
It was his seventh goal in as many games, and in the next Premier League tie against Stoke City, he started for the first time in the league that season.
January 1, 2015
In one of the games of the season, Kane inspired his team to a 5-3 victory over London rivals, as Spurs started the new year in style.
After Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead, Kane levelled the scored with a low drive after evading the challenge of three defenders.
It was soon 2-1 via Danny Rose, but after Kane was tripped in the box by Gary Cahill in first-half stoppage-time, Andros Townsend tucked away the penalty to go in 3-1.
Kane got his second soon after the restart after he turned neatly past Nemanja Matic.
And as Spurs saw the game out 5-3, Kane had become a fan-favourite as the White Hart Lane sang a chorus of “one of our own”.
February 7, 2015
If doing it against Chelsea wasn’t enough, the Premier League Player of the Month enjoyed his first start in a North London derby with one of his finest performances.
A sluggish Spurs trailed 1-0 at half-time courtesy of an 11th minute strike from Mesut Ozil.
It was level in the 56th minute as Kane pounced at the back post from a Mousa Dembele corner.
And with the game petering out into a draw, Kane scored an emphatic header that sailed into the top corner as Spurs won 2-1.
It was a fine way to celebrate signing a five-and-a-half year contract earlier in the week, and he became only the fourth player to win consecutive Player of the Month award after further goal against West Ham and Liverpool.
March 5, 2016
Kane was enjoying playing in the North London Derby, having scored in the 1-1 draw earlier in the season at the Emirates.
Almost 13 months after his match winning performance last time the two teams met at White Hart Lane, Kane scored what is arguably his best goal in a Spurs shirt.
As Toby Alderweireld had levelled on the hour mark, Kane then cut inside from the left two minutes later, to curl in a magnificent angled right-foot finish.
The game ended 2-2 but Kane was voted Premier League Player of the Month for the third time as he became Spurs’ highest scorer in a Premier League season, and was voted in the PFA Team of the Year for the second season running.
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