Where are Harry’s school cup winners?
THEY tasted success alongside Harry Kane in their school football team.
Since then, their paths have diverged somewhat.
As Kane, 24, prepares to lead England in tonight’s World Cup semi-final, his former classmates will be rushing from their jobs as teachers, accountants, tax advisers and scaffolders to watch the game on TV.
Nine years ago, Kane was part of a Year 11 trophy-winning team at Chingford Foundation School in east London.
Even then, the 15-year- olds were often referred to as the ‘Harry Kane team’ and the players were under instructions to pass the ball to him if in trouble. His former teammates admit that as they grew older their priorities switched to job hunting and socialising. Kane, they said, shunned alcohol and was single-minded in his determination to become a professional footballer.
One schoolfriend, Jack Coker, is at least a goalkeeper with semi-pro West Essex in the Essex Senior League but he earns his living as a PE teacher.
Dean Ercan, a scaffolder from Chingford, played football with Kane from the age of eight.
‘I played with Harry for a long time,’ he said. ‘ We played together at Ridgeway Rovers [a local team]. He was always running up to take a penalty – he always had his name on it.’
Mr Ercan, 25, who has a twoyearold daughter with girlfriend Chloe Ellington, said playing with Kane was ‘a great experience’.
He added: ‘He would be on the end of every ball. I didn’t know he would go all the way. It’s incredible. It just goes to show what you can do if you are dedicated.’
English teacher Denis McElligott was coach of the school team and said Kane was always determined to make the most of his talent.
‘He was a little bit stocky but then you would see him after a game out running, losing weight and working on his fitness,’ he said in a previous interview.
‘ Kids from other schools started to know who he was and know his name. If we were struggling during a game, the tactic would be “just give it to Harry” and he would smash one in from the corner flag.’