Harry Kane talks Chelsea - past and present
Fri 12 August 2022, 16:30|
Tottenham Hotspur
It's approaching 10 years since Harry Kane made his Premier League debut, and he's reflected on the importance of his performance against Sunday's opponents Chelsea back on New Year's Day, 2015.
'One of our own', the Academy graduate made his Spurs debut against Hearts in the UEFA Cup play-off in August, 2011 - he actually missed a penalty - and then his Premier League debut a year later, off the bench against Newcastle at St James' Park.
It wasn't until the end of the next season, 2013/14, that Harry was given a run in the team by Tim Sherwood, responding with his first Premier League goal against Sunderland on 7 April, 2014 and scoring in three matches on the trot.
Mauricio Pochettino arrived that summer and after scoring nine goals in cup competitions, Harry then scored a late winner off the bench at Aston Villa on 2 November, 2014. He's been a fixture in the team since, racked up records galore, captained England, won Golden Boots in the Premier League and at the World Cup and goes into this season just 18 goals behind Jimmy Greaves' all time Spurs record (Harry is on 248, Greavsie's record is 266), 17 away from becoming only the third player to reach 200 goals in the Premier League (Wayne Rooney 208, Alan Shearer 260) and just three away from Wayne Rooney's all-time England mark of 53.
That was a big one for me. It gave me all the self-belief I needed. That settled it in my head that I could do it against any opponent, any team
As we prepare to travel to Stamford Bridge in a key clash on Sunday (4.30pm), there's no underestimating the impact Harry's display in a memorable 5-3 victory against champions elect Chelsea - two goals, two assists - back in 2015 had on the striker, then 21.
Jose Mourinho's team were flying high when they arrived at the Lane, top of the Premier League, just one defeat in 19, just 14 goals conceded. They eventually took the title by eight points from City. We were also taking shape, and would finish fifth in 2014/15.
"That was a big one for me," reflected Harry. "To play that game, get Man of the Match, score two goals, two assists against a team who would be Premier League champions, that settled it in my head that I could do it against any opponent, any team. That gave me all the self-belief I needed. That was an important game, a fantastic night at White Hart Lane. That set the balling rolling in terms of, ‘okay, let’s go and do it against anyone’."
Fast forward approaching eight years and the teams prepare to meet again in the Premier League on Sunday, an early-season cracker after the teams finished third and fourth respectively last season.
"It's always a tough game, Chelsea, especially away," reasoned Harry. "Our record hasn’t been great there, so it will be a really tough game but it’s early in the season, we’ve had a good pre-season, we’ll go there with the right mindset and try take something from the game.
"It will be a little marker of where we are, but it’s not the be all and end all, it’s a game early in the season, we’re confident we can take something, but we’re also not silly enough to think that it’s going to be easy, it will be tough, Stamford Bridge is one of the toughest places we’ll go throughout the season.
"We're focussed, we’ve prepared well, and we’ll do what we’ve done since the manager has come in, prepare well, work hard and make sure we’re as prepared as we can be."
Look out for more from Harry on his 10 years in the Premier League here on tottenhamhotspur.com and SPURSPLAY next week...
