Harry Kane has revealed that his frustrating Norwich City and Leicester City loan spells only spurred him on even more in his quest to become a Tottenham success.
Having come through the system at Spurs, the striker had to learn his trade in the EFL and spent time on loan at four different clubs before making his breakthrough in N17.
Doing really well at Leyton Orient and Millwall initially, a switch to Premier League side Norwich at the start of the 2012/13 season didn't work out, and Kane finished the campaign in and out of the team at then Championship side Leicester as they missed out on promotion to the top flight.
It was indeed a tough time for the player following his previous loan success but it turned out to be a key part in his journey which would ultimately lead to him becoming a major hit under Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte at Tottenham.
"The Norwich and the Leicester ones for sure are probably the toughest times I had in my career," said the 28-year-old in the latest instalment of BT Sport’s What I Wore. "I had two great loan spells at Leyton Orient and Millwall, I'd done really well and then I went to Norwich.
"I couldn't quite get in the team and then I got injured so I came back and went to Leicester. I found myself on the bench a lot, played a few games and didn't quite do it.
"It's probably the time where I thought to myself that I'm not playing for Leicester in the Championship at the time, how can I play for Tottenham.
"It was a moment I stuck together, had good family and friends around me who believed in me, I've always had self belief and I just said to myself that I'm going to go back to next season with Spurs and give it everything I've got. Fortunately I got my opportunity and I was able to take it.
"A great learning curve even though it didn't go as well as I wanted, I think it was an important part of my story to be where I'm at now."
Scoring in three successive games under Tim Sherwood in the final few months of 2013/14, Kane would inherit the famous No.10 shirt in 2015 after such a successful season following Pochettino's appointment at White Hart Lane.
Opting for the No.9 shirt on England duty rather than the number he wears at club level, the striker has revealed the reason for his shirt number selection at Tottenham.
"I feel like 10 for Spurs was just a bigger number," he explained. "You had Robbie Keane, Glenn Hoddle players like that, Teddy Sheringham. I just felt like I wanted to be No.10 for Tottenham and obviously No.9 for England I feel is a bigger number for a striker as they've had some great No.9s.
"Growing up in my youth team days I would wear No.10 a lot and played in that No.10 role, so I always enjoyed the number but I just thought for Tottenham that No.10 was a bigger number and more responsibility as well."
He added: "I think it brings the best out of you. Obviously it is just a number at the end of the day but I think what it represents, fans around the world, young boys and girls around the world watching you play, hopefully one day hoping to the No.10 of Tottenham themselves.
"It adds a bit more pressure but I enjoy that and I want to represent the club well and I think taking the No.10 shirt was the best way of doing that."
The latest episode of BT Sport’s ‘What I Wore’ series featuring Harry Kane is now available to watch on the BT Sport YouTube channel. For more info on BT Sport go to www.bt.com/sport
