Harry Kane revisits childhood ambitions after surprise message from former teacher

Harry Kane was reduced to tears by a surprise message from his former schoolteacher before Bayern Munich’s decisive Champions League meeting with Arsenal.

The 33-year-old striker, who has regularly troubled Arsenal’s defence, was sent the emotional recording by TNT Sports after agreeing a lucrative new contract with Bayern Munich last week.

The broadcaster contacted Kane’s former mentor at Chingford School, Mr Lydon, to record a message celebrating the England captain’s outstanding start to the season and his nomination for next week’s prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

“Hello Harry, it’s Mr Lydon,” he said in the message, which was broadcast on air. “First of all, on behalf of everybody at Chingford School, I’d like to say how incredibly proud we are of you.

“Your record in the Premier League with Tottenham, in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and, of course, with England – in terms of both goals and appearances – is truly remarkable.

“But it goes beyond that. You have represented our country with great leadership and, as our captain, you have been an inspirational role model to thousands of young players who aspire to follow in your footsteps.

“I wish you all the best for the Ballon d’Or. And remember, as the song says, you’ll always be one of us.”

The message prompted Kane, England’s all-time leading scorer, to reflect on his early years and the ambitions he had as a child.

“Thank you very much,” Kane replied. “I have great memories of playing football at school, when I was just a carefree kid desperate to score goals and play.

“I don’t even think I thought about becoming a professional footballer when I was 11 or 12. It was just a dream.”

He said that dream became more realistic as he grew older and gained a clearer understanding of what a career at the highest level would demand.

“Obviously, as you get older, it becomes more realistic and you start to understand the sacrifices that come with it,” Kane added. “I was prepared to do a lot of things that other people weren’t prepared to do, and that is a big part of why I am here now.”

Kane has scored nine goals for Bayern Munich this season and will face Arsenal looking to add to his record against the club. He has found the net 15 times in 22 matches against the Gunners.

The England captain’s reunion with a former teacher is not the first such meeting involving a prolific scorer who went on to reach the top of the game.

In a widely shared encounter, Arsenal legend Ian Wright was reunited with his former teacher Sidney Pigden. Wright reacted with disbelief, saying: “I can’t believe it… someone says you were dead.”