Destiny can be cruel, ironic… and occasionally downright clumsy. Few clubs know it better than Arsenal, especially every time Harry Kane shows up wearing the opposite colors. This Wednesday, the English striker will face them again with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, reviving a chapter that the north London side would love to erase:
the time they had Harry Kane in their academy — and rejected him for “not having the right physique.”

A Past Arsenal Would Rather Bury

Long before he became one of the most prolific English forwards of his generation, Harry Kane actually wore red.
Photos from his childhood show him celebrating Arsenal’s 2004 Premier League title, even with his head painted red. In another viral shot, he’s smiling in the club’s under-8 team photo.

But his adventure at Hale End was short-lived.
Former youth coaches told The Mirror that young Kane had “baby fat”, lacked natural athleticism, and wasn’t considered fast or explosive. At the time, he was competing for attention with Benik Afobe, viewed as the superior talent — physically and technically.

Fate took its own twisted route: Afobe never broke into the Arsenal first team… while Kane became one of the deadliest strikers of the modern era.

From Rejection to Obsession: Kane vs. Arsenal

After leaving Arsenal, Kane joined Tottenham’s academy at age 11. Even there, it took time: multiple loan spells to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich, Leicester… a journey that didn’t exactly scream “future superstar.”

But one thing stayed with him:
the desire to prove Arsenal wrong.

His record against them is the stuff of nightmares for Gunners fans:
15 goals in 21 matches — years spent turning the North London Derby into his personal playground.
He punished them domestically, and again in Europe, notably in the 2023–24 Champions League quarterfinals.

In 2024, he finally admitted what had fueled him for two decades:

“Ever since they let me go at eight years old, I always wanted to prove them wrong.”

A Regret That Still Hurts

Now 31, thriving in the Bundesliga and still scoring for fun, Kane prepares for another chapter in a rivalry he never asked for — but certainly embraced.

Inside Arsenal, the question lingers like an old scar:
How did they let this one get away?

The boy who supposedly wasn’t athletic enough became a world-class striker through intelligence, obsession, and relentless work. Every time he scores against Arsenal, the message echoes:

That decision from 2004 still hurts — and Kane keeps reminding them.