From doughy-faced teen in Rochdale rain to Ballon d’Or winner
Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty ‘Plenty of people claim they were there for his debut but there were very few of us’ - Leyton Orient fanzine editor 1 Nov 2026 - Sport Andrew Butler About 200 Leyton Orient fans were there to witness Harry Kane’s senior debut 15 years ago – it was the beginning of a remarkable career that has featured no scandal, continuous improvement and now, at last, formal recognition as the best player on the planet It was a game that should have been forgotten, according to Keith Hill. The then-Rochdale manager, furious that his side's match against Leyton Orient went ahead due to bad weather, said the 1-1 draw “wasn't a spectacle, it was a farce”. He went on: “I don't think the game should have been played. That's forgotten now, it's history.” Unfortunately for Hill, that game in January 2011 will never be forgotten. In the 73rd minute, a 17-year-old, doughy-faced Harry Kane entered a senior football match for the first time. “It w...