A statue of England football captain Harry Kane has been given a home in east London after languishing in storage for nearly five years.
The statue of the Bayern Munich striker was officially unveiled at the Pete May Sports Centre in Walthamstow on Monday.
It cost £7,200 to create and depicts Kane sitting down while holding a football in his lap.
Kane tweeted: “A real proud moment for me to go back to where my life in football began and unveil a statue. I hope it helps inspire the next generation to work hard and believe in themselves."
The statue was commissioned by the borough of Waltham Forest, where Kane was born, but the tribute was left sitting in storage for almost five years as the council could not find an appropriate location.
Local councillors Emma Best and Roy Berg, who greenlit the project, recently saw their hopes of installing it on a platform at Chingford station dashed due to Transport for London’s safety concerns.
It came a day after Kane scored in England’s 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland at Wembley, extending his all-time England scoring record to 69 goals in 103 appearances.
Speaking to reporters at the unveiling of the statue, Kane said he did not feel like the 2026 World Cup in the US is his final opportunity to win a major trophy.
He said: “I don’t think so. I think there’s a perception when you get to your 30s that you’re coming to an end but for me I’m performing at the highest level I’ve ever performed and feel as good as I’ve ever felt, so it’s about taking in the moment.
“I don’t like to look too far ahead and in my career I never have, the World Cup is going to be exciting.
“In America it will be an incredible occasion and ultimately it’s about trying to win that, looking at where you are, where to improve and it will be no different in a couple of years.”
Kane began his career at Ridgeway Rovers aged five and played for Tottenham Hotspur for 19 years before moving to Bayern Munich in 2023.
He said of the unveiling of the statue: “It’s pretty special to be honest, these are things I didn’t think of when I was young.
“These little moments are special and this is where I first started playing, it all began here and it was the building blocks of my career. This is a great inspiration for the boys and girls who play.”
