A special talent...and a master of disguise

I NEVER got a chance to play against Harry Kane but I vividly remember the first time I saw him up close in action. I was on the bench in March 2016 at Villa Park and Harry scored both Tottenham goals in a 2-0 win. The secret about the player he was becoming was well and truly out but to see him go about his business that day left you in no doubt he was heading for the top. It was the movement, the sureness of being in the right place at the right time. What really brought home how special he is was a conversation I had with Joe Hart, who was at Spurs and played with Harry for England. Joe isn’t someone who throws compliments around but he chose the word ‘perfect’ to describe Harry. Joe knows football and it was the explanation he gave me about Kane’s finishing that brought home what a special talent he is. Joe said it was impossible for a goalkeeper to read what he was going to do because he took shots on so early. He said you would expect Harry to fire it one way but the disguise would send it in another direction, leaving him helpless. Then there was the power he put into his shots, the timing of his runs. And he never stopped practising. Soon he will be out on his own as Tottenham and England’s record scorer. What a hat-trick it will be if he adds the Premier League record, too.