Having fuelled a summer of World Cup celebration, heart stopping moments and unquestionable composure, Harry Kane helped give England supporters many special memories over the summer of 2018. Now heading back into International mode, we sat down with him and talked through it, unlocking those memories all over again.
How would you describe the whole experience of the World Cup?
"It was an incredible experience, just to start off and get a feel for how big it was, it was a real eye-opener. Obviously I’ve played in the Champions League and I’ve played in the Euros but there’s just something about the World Cup on a whole other level. Obviously it’s a world wide tournament with so many fans watching who are not just football fans and it brings so many people together. It gave me a real understanding of how big of a show it is and ultimately, to be part of it, the experience was incredible. What’s more, getting to the semi-final is something I’m extremely proud of. As hungry players, we left the tournament with a bit of a taste of what could have been. That feeling has made me excited for what the next four years has in store. The Nations League, the European Championships and then of course, the next World Cup."
What was it like on an emotional level - can you describe the rollercoaster?
"Highs and lows for sure. Obviously in the first game, to score two and get a last minute winner, it’s what you dream about. Especially as a striker. It was incredible and again, made me realise just how big the World Cup was as a spectacle. To score a hat-trick in the next game was another high. Belgium was a bit of a low even though I didn’t play, as a team, we wanted to win and then Colombia was just a game of so many emotions. Going ahead, conceding in the last minute, battling through extra time and then going through in the penalty shoot-out and wining it - there was just so many highs and lows in that game, it was just such an incredible experience. The quarter final win was a high but then we had the disappointment of Croatia which was a real low so the tournament gave us everything so as an experience it’s kind of what you want."
Your composure was incredible. Where did you get that mental strength from?
"I think that comes down to a lot of hard work and a lot of practice. I think mental strength is something I’ve always had but it comes through experience. I’ve always just wanted to work hard or as hard as I could in training so that in those high pressure situations, whether it’s penalties or other chances like that, my body is in a routine and ready for it. There were some high pressure penalties, especially in Russia so I just took my training out onto the pitch and that worked out well."
In a humble way, you’ve gone from playing Wembley doubles to getting a World Cup treble. when you were in Russia, did the thought of your journey come to mind at all?
"Every now and then you may have a moment to realise how far you’ve come but I’m always someone who likes to look forward. I like to see what else I can do and how else I can better what I’ve done before. That’s always what I want to do. I won a Golden Boot and we got to a semi-final but what can the next one be? Can we get to the final? Can I score more than six goals… so that’s always the aim with me. Of course I look back and I’m very proud of how far I’ve come but I want to go further."
What can you tell us about where you cut your teeth and learned to play the game? Can you set the scene?
"Well Ridgeway Rovers was my first club. Going over there, there was a place called ‘Peter May’ [playing fields]. I used to go over there and play a lot of games, I used to score a lot of goals which always excited me. That was the first taste of team football that I got. There was a lot of great experiences and it’s where I made a lot of great friends. A lot of friends from school used to play there too. It’s a special place and was where I first fell in love with football."
What comes to mind when someone says to you Ridgeway Rovers?
"Scoring lots of goals, having fun, playing football with my mates. That’s what it’s about. I’ve still got some of those friends now from when I played back then. At that age it’s just about going out there and trying to enjoy it and play your best and most importantly with a smile on your face. That’s what I always tried to do and it’s what my parents always told me to do and obviously that worked."
Is that a place that will stay with you in your mind forever?
"100%. You make memories along the way in all walks of life. Whether it’s the World Cup of achievements on club level, you remember all of that. Things like playing on the local pitch with your mates when you were young and having a good time will always be with me. As good as winning a golden boot in the World Cup is those memories from when you first started stay close."
What would you say is the biggest lesson you learnt from the World Cup?
"I’d say it’s knowing that every team in a World Cup is naturally a very good team. No matter what anyone says outside of football, whether they’re a team who haven’t done so well in World Cups or not as big a nation as others, every tournament, each of those players is fighting for pride. I think as a group, we’re proud to have overcome the challenges of those teams fighting for pride."
"Again, the full understanding of the scale of the tournament and the global influence of the World Cup, compared to any other football tournament is a huge lesson. At the end of the day, it’s the biggest sporting event in the World. Going through the tournament and having support people of all ages, not just Tottenham fans but the whole of England supporting you was just amazing."
How does it feel to be part of a team that helped make people fall back in love with England on a new level?
"It feels very good and it’s exactly what we wanted to do. We obviously wanted to win it first and foremost but we wanted to reconnect with our fans and since I’ve been back, everyone at home has said “you do realise what it was like? Like a six week-long festival with people going mad”, which is amazing to hear. We’re out here doing a job, trying to make everyone feel proud and we feel like we’ve done that. So now we just aim high for the next couple of years, especially leading up towards the Euros and we have that connection with the fans. Especially young fans who will be watching us, probably wanting to be us. Hopefully one day those watching will wear that shirt and feel the pride we do. To be able to feel that support we had is amazing. It was an incredible experience for us on the pitch but everyone back home enjoyed it too which means a great deal."
What was the reaction from inside the camp when you’d see all the videos going around - the pints flying etc?
"Everyone was buzzing. Everyone kind of remembers being there at one stage in their lives as a supporter. For me, maybe seven, eight years ago or maybe a little older, I was in that pub throwing drinks around when we scored and feeling that emotion so to now be part of the team making people do that really is special. It made for a great atmosphere and to have the fans showing their support like that was so good. Looking back at those videos, again are memories and moments not just with us but the whole of England to remember."
Ridgeway Rovers top scorer presented Harry Kane with special edition Hypervenom III "Gold" ahead of England's game v Spain last week. You can see the full story here.
While there’s plenty of games for you to play, we’re also now looking ahead towards the Women's World Cup. Is that something you’d love the whole nation to get behind as they did the men’s squad?
"Most definitely 100%. I think when they got to the semi-final in the last tournament, everyone was behind them and it’s the same again. We’re a nation that sticks together. Men, women, all different age groups, under-20s, under-19s, we’ve all seen the success the younger groups have had so hopefully the women can share some of that success too. Then hopefully the senior side too. I hope the nation will be behind them just as much as they were for us in the summer because it was enormous for us."
How can we make that happen?
"I think it’s about talking about it first and foremost, the more we talk about it, the more we can help bring it into people’s thoughts. I’m sure we’ll see build up on social media about it but it’s got to be about talking about it more and more. Like anything, when it comes to the tournament, if we are doing well and winning games then people will get attracted to it but yeah, I think just talking about it is the easiest way. The women’s game is growing and getting bigger and bigger which is great and hopefully they can have an incredible World Cup and make it even bigger over here."
What advice do you think you would pass on from your World Cup experience to the Women’s team heading out to France?
"Just to enjoy it. Just like we did. You know, we enjoyed every minute of it, away from the pitch as well as on it. It goes by so quick so you’ve got to make the most of it. Sometimes when we were out there, people were thinking about what’s going on back home, the new season, thinking about holidays just because you need that break and it’s natural because you’ve been away for maybe six to eight weeks. BUT it actually goes by so quickly and you wish you could go back and do it all again so just to enjoy it and make the most of it. That’s what I’d say."
Watch Harry Kane give Aidan Waugh a full tour of St. George's Park on SoccerBible IGTV here.
