‘I was the victim’ – Italian former teammate recalls Harry Kane’s rise at Spurs

Carlo Cudicini has been speaking to the Italian press about Harry Kane’s mentality as a youngster and how he was on the receiving end of the striker’s deadly finishes in training. 

Cudicini spent three years at Tottenham after joining the club from Chelsea in 2009 and he initially served as Heurelho Gomes’ understudy before falling to third in the pecking order when Brad Freidel arrived at the club in the summer of 2011.

Harry Kane Dele Alli Ben Davies
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The goalkeeper made 37 appearances for the Lilywhites during that period, which included the memorable Champions League group stage win over Inter Milan at White Hart Lane.

Kane was just a teenager when Cudicini was at Spurs and it was far from clear at the time that the striker would be destined for greatness as he had struggled to have the expected impact during his loan spells at lower-league clubs.

However, Cudicini remarked that the striker was already mature for his age and would work extremely hard on his game at the end of each group training session.

The 49-year-old told MilanNews24: “When Kane entered the first team, he was a little boy. I was lucky enough to know him before returning to Tottenham after the two loans. 

“He was a more mature person, he knew his stuff and I insulted him in a certain way because at the end of training, he would take two bags of balls and shoot, shoot, shoot… And I was the victim. This makes us understand the mentality that the loans had given to Kane.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Even while coming through the ranks at Spurs, Kane was never really seen as the best player in his age group.

The likes of Tom Carroll, Andros Townsend, Steven Caulker and Adam Smith were all seen as more promising talents. 

However, as Cudicini points out, what set Kane apart is his willingness to work hard and his determination to be the best player he can be.

That is why even at 29 years of age, the striker continues to improve and add facets to his game.

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