Harry Kane has become the fifth Englishman to lift the Ballon d’Or and joins an elite class of sporting stars. To celebrate here are five objects on our galleries that chart the incredible journey of a young boy from Chingford to one of world football’s best.
- Ridgeway Rovers shirt, 1999
Kane began playing football like so many, in the garden with their sibling. He eventually joined his local club Ridgeway Rovers in 1999 when he was around five or six years old. What inspired Kane early on was the prospect of following in his idol’s footsteps – David Beckham. Like Kane, Beckham attended Chingford Foundation School and started his footballing journey with Ridgeway Rovers. Every time Kane pulled on his junior shirt he was reminded of this fact, that provided him with the determination to develop his ability and skills which would help shape his future career.
2. England debut shirt, 2015
Joining Tottenham’s academy, three years on from playing with Ridgeway Rovers. Kane experienced the difficulties of breaking into first team football. After a series of loan moves to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City. He eventually established himself at Spurs during his breakthrough campaign in the 14/15 season.
Then England manager Roy Hodgson was impressed and called up Kane to the international squad. On the 27th March 2015, during England’s 2016 Men’s Euro qualifying game against Lithuania. Kane replaced Wayne Rooney in the 72nd minute and scored with his third touch 79 seconds later. England ended up 4-0 winners; to mark the occasion his debut shirt is signed by members of the squad from that day.
3. Protective Facemask, 2016
During the 15/16 campaign, Kane broke his nose in an FA cup defeat to Crystal Palace. In the fixtures that followed, Kane would be required to wear a protective facemask to prevent further damage. Unfortunately, the striker would struggle to find the back of net before manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted the facemask was having an impact on Kane’s game. The comment brought a wave of criticism towards the forward, which he would silence in his own way.
In the North London Derby with the sides level, Kane broke the deadlock cutting inside from the left wing and firing a curling effort past David Ospina. He wheeled away in celebration, ripping off his facemask and sliding into the corner flag – an iconic goal remembered even more fondly by way of Kane’s celebration whilst providing a clear reminder of Kane’s footballing abilities and commitment to succeed.
4. World Cup Golden Boot, 2018
Kane went into the World Cup in 2018 being the Premier League top goalscorer for two out of the previous three seasons. Expectations were tempered for Gareth Southgate’s avant-garde England side but after a Kane brace in their opening fixture against Tunisia, optimism certainly grew. Kane would go on to win the Golden Boot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with six goals as England exited at the semi-final stage. He became the second England player to win the award, after Gary Lineker and helped the three lions to their second-best World Cup finish at the time.
5. Sketchers SKX boots, 2026
Following the end of his deal with Nike, Kane signed a lifetime partnership agreement with Sketchers and became the global face of the brand.
Kane worked with Sketchers for over 18 months to develop a bespoke boot complete with precision strike tailoring and advanced cushioning. Kane wore these Sketchers SKX boots between January and April 2026, scoring 14 goals in his award-winning season. The boots are also personalised with an England flag and feature Kane’s name, as well as the names of his children.
Kane would go on to score a record 61 goals in 51 competitive games for Bayern Munich, with an additional 12 goals on international duty taking him to 73 goals last season. It was these goals and his incredible performances for club and country that led him to lifting the Ballon D’or – the crowning piece of his prolific goalscoring career.
