Scotland v England was always a game that could forge or shatter reputations, and a young striker went to Hampden Park six summers ago surrounded by doubts. A great start to his international career had fizzled out and he had not scored for his country for more than a year. At Euro 2016 he had struggled, and though he kept pounding in Premier League goals, people still talked about his early career — when his club were not sure and he was sent on loan after loan.
In short, the world was yet to appreciate quite how good Harry Kane was. Reflecting on that point in his life — a life that changed thanks to 90, well 90+3 minutes, at Hampden — Kane said: “Sometimes you look back at moments that, at the time, you don’t realise how big and important they were.”
He wears it lightly, in his sensible way, but Kane these days is every inch the star. The £100 million No 9. The World Cup Golden Boot. The holder of all-time records. The icon of Englishness, who Bayern Munich unveiled by dressing him up as James Bond. It’s easy to forget his status wasn’t always this.
That previous England visit to Hampden was in June 2017, for a World Cup qualifier, when Kane was 23, with 17 caps and just the five England goals to his name. Gareth Southgate, not long installed as permanent England manager, was trying out captains and gave Kane his shot.
Of his late equaliser at Hampden in 2017, Kane says: “It made me realise how big the fixture v Scotland is. Caddies there still remind me of the goal”
MIKE HEWITT/GETTY IMAGESMIKE HEWITT/GETTY IMAGES
It seemed bold, given his scoring drought, the hostility of Hampden — and the fact Kane had never led a team before. Three minutes into stoppage time it felt no more convincing. England trailed after two late, majestic, Leigh Griffiths free kicks and the old stadium was baying for the final whistle when Kane ran on to a Raheem Sterling cross, then leapt and volleyed sweetly past Craig Gordon to rescue England a draw. In that instant, ‘Captain Kane’ was born. The pattern was set. England, at points of need, so often able to rely on the uncomplicated output of their skipper.
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“As captain, losing to Scotland in your first game is not something you want on your résumé at all. Who knows, things might have been a little different if I didn’t score that goal,” reflected Kane. “Though we drew, it felt like a win — whenever you score in the last minute to salvage a result, it’s like that. It was an amazing atmosphere, even from the national anthems. The noise at Hampden. One of the best atmospheres I’ve been part of. Sometimes, when you become a footballer, you forget the magnitude of these games and that goal reminded me how big [Scotland v England] is and what it means to the fans. I’ve been on a couple of golf trips to Scotland and the caddies still remind me of it and how much it hurts them. I have some good fun whenever I’m in Scotland.”
Tanned and relaxed, Kane spoke with smiling relish about Tuesday’s 150th anniversary Scotland v England match. The build-up to the 2017 fixture was not so easy-going. A week before it, Southgate took his squad to a boot camp at the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre in Devon. Players spent three days camping on Woodbury Common, yomping with 21kg backpacks, deprived of their mobile phones, and being ripped from their comfort zones in various ways.
Kane says he always prepares for getting two penalties in a match but that he simply failed to execute against France at the 2022 World Cup
MIKE EGERTON/PRESS ASSOCIATIONMIKE EGERTON/PRESS ASSOCIATION
“We learnt to put up our own tents and had the rations that the Marines have when they’re going to war. We woke at sunrise and did a trek with all the stuff on our backs. Then did an obstacle course — which was fun, though I think they left out some of the tougher parts,” Kane said.
“We had to follow the Marines. Whenever they shouted ‘Down’, we had to crawl in the mud, through stone and a tunnel full of sheep dip. [By the end] we were all soaking wet, with sand and mud everywhere, and thought we were going to get in a car and go back to camp — until they told us we were walking back, which was another hour on the road.
“That was probably the hardest part, it was mentally tough. Then we got back to the place where we were staying and I was looking forward to a nice, hot shower — and it was just a bit of water dripping out.
“That was brutal. It was the Champions League final that night, though — Real Madrid v Juventus — and we had a few drinks in the bar watching the game with the Marines. It was a really good time.”
At the end of the trip, Southgate quietly asked the Marines who, among his players, had the best leadership qualities. The answer was emphatic. Kane — and by a distance. Hence why he got the armband for Hampden. “I think Gareth did use that trip to see who stood out in terms of leadership and maybe it was the way I got on with the Marines and handled certain situations,” Kane said.
“I know he asked some of the Marines who they thought were natural leaders, who were approachable, and who other players were leaning towards to talk to, and that might have helped me becoming captain.”
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The experience “helped the whole squad become closer” — and how did getting the captaincy help Kane? “It gave me loads of confidence. It was the start of a journey, where none of us knew how it was going to go.
“It gave me the belief that the manager trusted me as a No 9. I was pretty young and pretty new into my career, so just to have that faith from Gareth was important — and I think I’ve been able to repay him.”
He has scored the most goals (50) as England captain of any footballer and joined Bobby Moore as the only male player to lead England to a major final. The blemish on his record is missing a penalty — his second of the match, having scored his first — that would have taken England into extra-time in their 2022 World Cup quarter-final with France. Typically, he moved on from disappointment in brisk, don’t-look-back style — scoring 27 goals in his next 36 games for club and country.
Kane believes that coping with the weight of expectation at Bayern will make him a better player
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“You are never going to go through a career with a perfect game every game, you’re not going to score every game or from every penalty,” he shrugged. “There are always going to be things that test your character and mentality, but the thing for me is that I love this game and I’ve never let anything knock me or stop my confidence. When you have disappointing moments, it just makes me ready for another chance to prove myself again.
“After the World Cup, it has felt like a time to show even more that I can improve and get better — and I think my form since then has shown that.”
He doesn’t reproach himself for the miss. “I have a routine — the same steps, the same breathing, the same mindset. Before every game, I choose where I’m going to go, what I’ll do if we get two penalties. I had it all clear in my head, but sometimes you just don’t execute how you want to execute. That was the bottom line, but I don’t dwell on it much. It’s not like I underprepared, which would have been the worst feeling.”
He believes the move to Germany will aid his drive for improvement. “That was pretty much the main reason,” he said. “There’s a lot of talk about trophies, and of course I want to win trophies, but that wasn’t the only reason I went to Bayern Munich.
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“I felt I needed to be playing at the highest level if I wanted to improve. If I want to be around the best strikers and best players in the world, then I need to be playing in the Champions League and fighting for titles.
“I just felt last season went well for me, but not for Spurs as a team, and it was time for another challenge. I wanted to experience a new league, with new expectations and a new pressure.
“The thing I have felt most since I’ve been at Bayern Munich is the pressure. It’s not just wanting to win, you have to win. We haven’t started the Champions League yet, but the expectation is to win it.
“It’s a different pressure and I feel that will only help me get better.”
On TV
Scotland v England
Tuesday, Channel 4
Kick-off 7.45pm
