Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Bayern Munich and the England national team, for which he is the captain and the joint most-capped player. He is regarded as one of the best players in the world, one of the best strikers of his generation, and one of England's greatest ever players. Kane has scored over 500 career goals for club and country, being Tottenham Hotspur's all-time top goalscorer (280), England's all-time top goalscorer (91), and the highest-scoring English player in the UEFA Champions League (54). He is also the Premier League's second-highest all-time goalscorer (213) and the seventh-highest goalscorer for Bayern Munich (152).
Beginning his senior career with Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, Kane had loan spells out to clubs across the English football pyramid, including Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City, and Norwich City. Kane's involvement at Tottenham increased after Mauricio Pochettino became head coach in 2014, being named PFA Young Player of the Year in the 2014–15 season. In the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons, Kane finished as the league's top goalscorer. In the latter campaign, he helped Tottenham finish as Premier League runners-up and was named the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. In the 2018–19 season, Kane finished as Champions League runner-up. He ended the 2020–21 season as the Premier League's top goalscorer (23) and top assist provider (14).
After 14 years at Tottenham, Kane became the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history as he joined Bayern Munich in a transfer worth €110 million in 2023. In his debut season, he scored 36 league goals, winning the European Golden Shoe. In the following season, he won the Bundesliga title, his first major trophy, and was awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Season. In the 2025–26 season, Kane helped Bayern win the domestic double, scoring a hat-trick in the 2026 DFB-Pokal final. During the season, he scored over 70 goals for Bayern and England, the second-highest tally ever for a player in a single season during the 21st century.
Kane appeared more than 30 times at youth international level and made a goalscoring debut with the senior team in March 2015, at age 21. Since making his debut for England, Kane has been central to one of the nation's most successful periods in international football, helping them reach the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, finish as runners-up at UEFA Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, and achieve a third place finish at the 2026 World Cup — their highest since 1966. During this period, he won the World Cup Golden Boot in 2018, finished as the joint top scorer at Euro 2024, and became England's all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 14 goals.
Early life Harry Edward Kane was born on 28 July 1993 at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, London, the second son of Kim (née Hogg) and Patrick Kane, and has one older brother, Charlie. He has Irish ancestry through his father, who was born in Galway. The family lived in Walthamstow before moving to Chingford. Kane attended Larkswood Primary Academy until 2004, followed by Chingford Foundation School, which was also attended by David Beckham. He played football from a young age, joining the local Walthamstow club Ridgeway Rovers in 1999, when he was six. Kane spoke about football in his family:
Kane also said: "Most of my family were Spurs fans and I grew up 15 minutes from the ground, so I was always going to be a Spurs fan". This was despite being an Arsenal fan in his younger years. He named former Spurs striker Teddy Sheringham as his childhood idol, describing him as a "great finisher" and a role model for his ability to get into the box and score goals. Other childhood sporting influences he cited include David Beckham and Jermain Defoe. Kane has also spoken of his admiration for the former Brazil forward Ronaldo, saying that he loved to watch footage of him on YouTube: "He was one of the first ones I looked at and thought, 'Wow. He's a goalscorer, I want to be a goalscorer.'"
Club career Tottenham Hotspur 2004–2010: Youth career Kane first played for a local club, Ridgeway Rovers, in 1999 when he was six, and joined the Arsenal youth academy when he was eight years old. He was released after one season for being "a bit chubby" and not "very athletic", according to Liam Brady who was then in charge of Arsenal's academy. Manager Arsène Wenger stated in November 2015 that he was disappointed that Arsenal chose to release Kane. He also had a trial at Tottenham Hotspur but was not initially successful, and he returned to his old club Ridgeway Rovers. In 2004, at the age of eleven, he joined Watford academy for a four- to six-week trial, and was then given another chance at Tottenham after he impressed playing for Watford against Tottenham. He first played at Tottenham as a midfielder – initially in a holding position, then as an attacking midfielder.
In his early days at Tottenham, Kane did not stand out as a player as he was neither big nor was he particularly quick, but those who worked with him noted his constant desire to improve various aspects of his game. A couple of years after joining, he had a large growth spurt that made him taller and physically stronger. In the 2008–09 season, he played in the under-16s side that competed in the Copa Chivas tournament in Mexico, and the Bellinzona tournament in Switzerland, scoring three goals. In July 2009, on his 16th birthday, he signed a scholarship contract with Tottenham.
In the 2009–10 season, Kane played 22 times for Tottenham's under-18s, scoring 18 goals. Kane appeared on the first-team bench twice during the 2009–10 season. Both matches were in home domestic cup victories: one the League Cup fixture against Everton on 27 October 2009, and the other in the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bolton Wanderers on 24 February 2010.
2010–2014: Loan spells across England Kane signed his first professional contract with Tottenham in July 2010. The then U-21 coach Tim Sherwood believed that Kane could benefit from a loan spell, and on 7 January 2011, Kane moved to Leyton Orient on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season. Manager Russell Slade was "happy" at his arrival and said, "I'm sure he will have an impact with us over the coming months". He made his first-team debut for Orient on 15 January, coming on as a substitute for Scott McGleish in the 73rd minute of a 1–1 draw away to Rochdale. A week later, Kane scored his first first-team goal against Sheffield Wednesday; making his first-ever start, an "unmarked" Kane scored from a Dean Cox free kick in the 57th minute as Orient eventually won 4–0. Slade said that he was "delighted" that Kane scored a goal on his first league start. On 12 February, he scored twice in a 4–1 win over Bristol Rovers, after coming on as a substitute for McGleish in the 70th minute. He ended the season scoring five goals in 18 matches.
On 25 August 2011, Kane made his first appearance for Tottenham, starting in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League qualification round against Hearts, with Tottenham making changes after winning the first leg 5–0. His debut was a goalless match, although he won a penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald, who then saved the penalty which Kane took himself. He went on to make six appearances in the Europa League that season, scoring his first Tottenham goal in the 4–0 win away to Shamrock Rovers on 15 December 2011.
On 29 December 2011, Kane and Tottenham teammate Ryan Mason agreed to join Championship club Millwall on loan from 1 January 2012 until the end of the season. After making his debut against Bristol City, manager Kenny Jackett said that he had "very good debut" but was "unlucky not to score". He also said that Kane would "be a good addition" for the club in the second half of the season. He went on to score seven goals in the final 14 matches of the season. Kane scored nine goals in 27 matches which resulted in him being named Millwall's Young Player of the Year for 2011–12. His run of goals scored towards the end of the season has been credited with helping to raise Millwall in the table away from the threat of relegation that season.
Kane spent the 2012–13 preseason with Tottenham, scoring a hat-trick in a 6–0 away win against Southend United on 10 August 2012. On 18 August, he made his Premier League debut, against Newcastle United. Coming as an 86th-minute substitute for Sandro, Tottenham lost 2–1.
On 31 August 2012, Kane joined Premier League team Norwich City on a season-long loan, making his debut as a substitute against West Ham United. Kane suffered an injury, breaking a metatarsal bone, in the League Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers in only his second appearance. The 19-year-old underwent his rehabilitation at Tottenham but returned to action for Norwich on 29 December 2012, coming off the bench at half time as Norwich lost 3–4 to Manchester City. However, with Tottenham having been unable to add to their attacking options during the January transfer window, they opted to recall Kane on 1 February 2013, four months before he was due to return.
Twenty days after he was recalled to Tottenham, Kane joined Leicester City for the remainder of the season to aid in the club's push for automatic promotion from the Championship. He marked his home debut with a goal against Blackburn Rovers, in a 3–0 win on 26 February 2013. He made 13 appearances for the East Midlands club, eight from the bench, and they reached the play-off semi-final before being eliminated by Watford.
Kane scored his first Tottenham goal of the 2013–14 season at White Hart Lane in a League Cup tie against Hull City, scoring the equaliser in extra time, the match finished 2–2. Tottenham won 8–7 on penalties, with Kane taking and converting the fifth of the nine sets of spot-kicks.
On 7 April 2014, Kane was given his first Premier League start for Tottenham by manager Tim Sherwood, in a 5–1 win against Sunderland, and scored his first Premier League goal in the 59th minute. He also scored in the following match, helping Tottenham to recover from a 3–0 deficit against West Bromwich Albion before eventually drawing 3–3. He scored for the third match in a row on 19 April, this time helping Tottenham to a 3–1 London derby win at home over Fulham.
2014–2015: PFA Young Player of the Year
Kane made his first appearance of the 2014–15 season as a substitute in a London derby against West Ham on the opening day of the Premier League season, providing an assist for the match-winning goal by Eric Dier. He scored in both matches against Cypriot opposition AEL Limassol in Tottenham's UEFA Europa League play-offs, scoring an 80th-minute winner in the first leg, and opening the scoring in the 3–0 second leg victory after missing a penalty. He scored a late goal against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup to secure a 3–1 victory for Tottenham on 24 September 2014. On 23 October 2014, Kane scored his first professional hat-trick for Tottenham in a 5–1 win over Asteras Tripolis in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. Kane was forced to play in goal for the final three minutes, after Hugo Lloris had been sent off with no substitutions remaining, and conceded a goal when he dropped a free-kick from Jerónimo Barrales.