‘Life has changed a lot’ for Harry Kane during remarkable rise with Tottenham and country

Kane's rise over the past 12 months has seen the striker become a Tottenham favourite, England regular and wedding crasher. 'Hectic' and 'crazy' are the words the 22-year-old Kane uses to describe the experience.

England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring during a Euro 2016 Qualifying Group E match against Lithuania at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Reuters / Eddie Keogh

Harry Kane's remarkable rise over the past 12 months has seen him become a Tottenham favourite, England regular and wedding crasher.

The 22-year-old striker has gone from third-choice front man at White Hart Lane to the Premier League’s leading scorer last season, with 31 goals, and his international debut yielded a goal in 79 seconds.

“Hectic” and “crazy” are the words Kane uses to describe a period for which the catalyst was his deflected free-kick as Spurs come from behind to beat Aston Villa last November.

"Life has changed a lot," he said of the time since his first league goal of the 2014/15 season. "I've started every game in the Premier League since that day, touch wood.

“Outside of football, too, being an England international you get a lot more publicity and more fans coming up to you on the street or in a restaurant.

“So, yes, it’s been a crazy year, but it’s all good and hopefully there is more to come.”

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Kane does not mind the fame side of things. “I know what is like to go up to ask for a picture or be star-struck,” he said. Kane remembers what it was like when he met David Beckham as a kid, even if there is one request that still amuses him.

“I get people ask me to do wedding videos, to say congratulations,” Kane said, smiling. “I’ve had that quite a lot.

“This is just more people sometimes seeing me in the street or out and about. It’s more of a best-man thing. Obviously, there’s a lot of Spurs and England fans out there.”

Kane laughed when it was mentioned that he has appeared at a lot of weddings he has never been to, but the desire of people he does not know to have him involved in such a special day underlines what a popular public figure he has become.

“I went away with the missus and went away on a beach spending time looking back at what has been great season for me,” he said when asked if he could absorb what has happened.

“Obviously, this season, the games come so quick and fast, that you don’t have a chance to think about things.

“You just get on with it, do your job and its more at the end of the season when you look back and think about what could have been.”

There was certainly little to bemoan about last season, while this term’s bumpy start seems to have settled into another productive spell.

Having been cast as the golden boy of English football, Kane found himself under the scrutiny after struggling to score at the start of the season - a frustrating run ended with six goals in four matches in all competitions for Spurs.

“I’m always confident in my ability,” he said.

“I think even when I weren’t scoring goals, I didn’t feel I was playing bad. I still felt I was contributing to the team. We were playing well as a team, we were picking up results.

“It was just, I think, a matter of time. I’ve said before, you need a bit of luck now and then. I probably didn’t have that at the start of the season.”

Kane’s most recent goal secured Tottenham a 1-1 draw at rivals Arsenal, where the forward had spent time between the age of seven and nine.

Released for being too small, the self-confessed late developer has more determination than most to remain in peak physical shape to perform at the highest level.

Kane’s next chance to do that will come at Wembley on Tuesday, when France visit for an important friendly in the build-up to Euro 2016.

“During the last Euros in 2012, I was in Greece with my girlfriend,” he said, fresh from winning his seventh cap in Friday’s 2-0 defeat in Spain.

“I remember dragging her out to watch the games. Instead of going out for meals I dragged her out to a bar to watch the games.

“I remember watching it and thinking hopefully one day I can be playing at the Euros myself, so four years later, hopefully, I can end the season playing in them.”

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