This summer, the Museum of London will celebrate one of the city’s sporting heroes with a new display on world-leading striker and England captain Harry Kane. Through his story of persistence, hard work, resilience, and sporting achievement, the free display curated in collaboration with Harry Kane will aim to inspire the next generation and encourage visitors of all ages to be their best and never give up on their dreams.
Opening 21 May 2022, Harry Kane: I want to play football features rarely seen personal items, family photos and iconic objects to document Harry’s career so far: from his first club, to winning golden boot awards and being named England captain.
Kane grew up in in Chingford, east London and lived just 15 minutes away from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in north London. He began his football journey at the age of six, playing with local London youth clubs Ridgeway Rovers and Gladstone Rangers. The display captures Kane’s early years as a football fan and aspiring player, following him to play for three London clubs- Leyton Orient, Millwall and Tottenham Hotspur- through to his international career as captain of a history-making England side.
Renowned for his formidable goal scoring record, Kane has earned a reputation as a world-class striker who sets an example on and off the pitch. Yet, for the England captain, whose sporting heroes include David Beckham, Tiger Woods and American football star Tom Brady, making it to the top hasn’t always been a given. Using personal insights from Kane himself, the display explores the setbacks, resilience and successes that have defined the 28-year-old’s career to date, as well as his determination to succeed at the highest level of the game.
Key items of sporting memorabilia set to go on display for the first time include:
Shirts from England, Leyton Orient, Millwall and Tottenham Hotspur
Kane’s debut England shirt, where he scored against Lithuania just 79 seconds after coming on the pitch
Kane’s MBE, awarded in March 2019 for ‘services to sport’ after leading England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and winning a golden boot award.
The 2018 World Cup Golden Boot. Kane is one of only two British players to receive a Golden Boot at a World Cup competition, where he was named Man of the Match three times.
Alongside personal items, the display will include a changing room space where visitors can listen to Kane’s pre-match playlist. There will be an interactive area where visitors can learn more about who has inspired Harry and share their own hopes and dreams. A programme of activities for families and children is also planned to run alongside the free display to engage young people across the country.
Harry Kane, said: “The Museum of London got in touch and wanted a Londoner to inspire young children to be their best so I am delighted to have all my memorabilia on show, with trophies, shirts, golden boots and some personal pieces which haven’t been seen publicly before.
“I’ve got three kids now so I know how important it is to inspire the younger generation and help them understand how far you can go with hard work, dedication and self-belief.
“The display runs until the World Cup and is free to enter so I’d encourage everyone to go down and see it if they have the chance. There are some really special items in there – from my World Cup golden boot and MBE to the shirt and armband from my first game as England captain – which mean a lot to me.”
Exhibition Curator Zeynep Kuşsan said: “Harry Kane grew up in London, and worked his way through grassroots football. It’s important to highlight this story and how important work is at grassroots. With the men’s Euro final played right here in the capital, we also wanted to capture something from this moment. We shouldn’t wait until something is in the past to celebrate it or tell the story in a museum – just like football we should all be in that moment together. With the women’s Euros and World Cup coming up, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about a player that has risen through London’s grassroots football and what it takes to play at the highest level of the game.”
Harry Kane: I want to play football runs from 21 May 2022 until December 2022. The Museum of London opens seven days a week (10am to 5pm). This will be part of the Museum of London’s last chance to see programme at London Wall before the site closes to the public in December 2022.
