Harry Kane honed his craft at Larkswood Primary Academy and the Chingford Foundation School - also attended by David Beckham.
And the technique honed on those concrete playgrounds and football pitches has carried the England captain, 29, to a World Cup Golden Boot and on the verge of equalling Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney's all-time Three Lions scoring record of 53 goals.
Kane is set to lead his country once again on Saturday night when Gareth Southgate's side take on defending champions France in the World Cup quarter-finals. England will be the underdogs at Al Bayt Stadium, but the public are fully behind Kane and his colleagues.
A photo of Kane kicking a tennis ball at Larkswood Primary Academy has emerged online and fans have noticed his technique is exactly the same as it is now. That technique has helped Kane become England's most successful captain since Bobby Moore.
The Tottenham forward led the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia four-and-a-half years ago and the final of Euro 2020 in July 2021. Moore, who won the World Cup in 1966, is the only other Englishman to captain his country at a major international final.
Kane's impressive technique has also helped him score 195 Premier League goals, with only Alan Shearer (260) and Rooney (208) scoring more in the division. He's also just five goals away from equalling Jimmy Greaves record of 266 for Tottenham.
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All that's missing from Kane's CV is a major trophy - and he would love to break his duck in Qatar on December 18. The forward is confident England can go the distance but is solely focused on beating France and reaching a second successive World Cup semi-final.
"I feel like we’ve got a great mix between experience and youth and when you look at the teams that have won big tournaments, that’s what they’ve had," Kane told Lions' Den. "To see the boys play how they’re playing, I’m almost like a proud older brother or something like that."
Kane added: "France is going to be a tough game for sure. They’ve had a really good tournament so far themselves, they’ve got some great players. To win a World Cup, you’re going to have to play some really good sides and France are definitely that, but we have belief."
England have received plenty of encouragement ahead of Saturday's big game, with the press hyping-up their chances due to Kane's presence. An Argentinian newspaper has told England to "dream big", while a Germany publication has called Kane the "KO-King".
England have also received a visit from former captain David Beckham. Kane added: "He [Beckham] was here the other day, so we had a good chat. He was my biggest idol growing up. He was probably one of our best captains.
"I probably don’t ask questions about games or how it felt, it’s more just getting to know his experiences and how he feels about our team and what he sees in our team. He’s really excited for his national side. He loves watching us play. It’s great to have support from ex-players. They know how it means to represent the country. They are all part of the team."
