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Kane says he plays with 'point to prove' against Arsenal after being released when he was 9

Football

By Associated Press | Apr 17, 2024

**Bayern Munich star Harry Kane celebrates with teammate.**[Bayern Munich]

Harry Kane was released by Arsenal when he was 9 years old. He has been on a revenge mission ever since.

The England captain has scored 15 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions against Arsenal — first as a Tottenham player and now while at Bayern Munich — and will look to add to that record in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Bayern held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in the first leg in London last week, with Kane scoring.

He opened up Tuesday about his feelings when playing against Arsenal after being rejected as a kid.

“Up until this year, I’ve played them at least twice a year for the last 10 years,” Kane said at a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s game at the Allianz Arena. “It was always a big occasion, a big moment. Of course, always maybe it was in the back of my mind, being released from a young age, that there was always a point to prove and I feel like I’m the type of player who throughout my whole career has had points to prove along the way.

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“I don’t feel that ever leaves you. It will always be in my DNA until I’m retired. There will always be a reason to prove someone wrong or prove to myself I can do something.”

Liam Brady, who was Arsenal’s academy manager when Kane was at the club, has since said Kane “was a bit chubby, he wasn’t very athletic but we made a mistake.”

Writing in a piece for The Players’ Tribune in 2018, Kane said being released by Arsenal “was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, because it gave me a drive that wasn’t there before.”

On Tuesday, Kane said there was more at play now that he had joined Bayern.

“I don’t think specifically I look back to that and think that because I was released at 9 years old, I really need to make a difference tomorrow,” he said. “Now I’m at Bayern Munich, it’s just they are a top team in the Champions League.

“Of course I have history with (Arsenal) but all I can do is help Bayern Munich qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League.”

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard trained Tuesday after coming off in the second half of the team’s 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday with what manager Mikel Arteta said was an injury.