The entertaining rise of Harry Kane

Harry Kane's 2015 started in dream fashion. With two goals as well as an assist against the Premier League leaders and fierce rivals Chelsea, there was no doubt who deserved the man-of-the-match award at full-time. Confidence, determination, desire and passion were all on display from the 21 year-old local boy, and with 17 goals already this season, there's no denying that Kane is showing the potential of a fantastic centre-forward, something that both Tottenham and England fans have been long crying for.

Rewind 5 months, however, and you'd struggle to find a single Spurs fan who envisaged the then-rookie becoming anywhere near as efficient as he is in current form, and that lack of optimism was in fact fairly warranted. Having scored just 5 goals for Tottenham since 2011, it was believed that Kane would be an afterthought once again this season, playing mainly in the Europa League to rest Soldado and Adebayor for the league, or possibly even be sold to a lower Premier League team, where he would be more likely to gain minutes.

The career of Harry Kane began back in January 2011, when, as a relative unknown in English football, he was loaned out to fellow London club Leyton Orient, who were in League One. In his half-season there, he found himself being played fairly consistently, and managed to score 5 goals, as well as demonstrate some good link-up play that suited Orient's 4-4-2 formation well. With it being his very first taste of English football, there was a fair bit of interest being shown by bigger clubs in the Football League, who sensed that they could be gaining a good prospect, and midway into the 2011-12 season, after playing and scoring in the earlier stages of the Europa League for Tottenham, he was sent to another London club, this time Millwall in the Championship.

It was at Millwall that Kane really impressed for the first time in his career. In a similar 4-4-2 system that Orient had introduced him to, he managed to score 7 in the league, which was valuable to their relegation battle, and a further two in the FA Cup. By the end of the season, he had become a fan favourite, gaining praise from manager Kenny Jackett in the process, and was rewarded with the chance to play at the Under-19's European Championship in the summer of 2012.

The 2012-13 season, however, was very nearly disastrous for Harry. After a strong pre-season, it was decided that he'd spend the season on loan at Norwich City, which was to be his real shot at Premier League football, and hopefully the final stepping stone in his career before a starting spot at Tottenham. However, he suffered a fairly serious injury not long into his loan spell, and missed out on valuable experience while he recovered. After returning, he was recalled just a few games later, and was then sent out on loan to Championship side Leicester City for the remainder of the season, where he scored twice.

The decision to send him back to the Championship at the time seemed as though Tottenham didn't have faith in Kane's ability as a Premier League player, and in the summer of 2013, Gareth Bale's departure gave Tottenham nearly £100 million to strengthen the squad with, a fair bit of which was
spent on the prolific Spaniard, Roberto Soldado, from Valencia. With him, as well as the experienced Emmauel Adebayor and Spurs icon Jermaine Defoe as forward options, Harry Kane was seen as surplus to requirements.

It was not until the end of the 2013-14 season where Harry Kane began to see minutes in the Premier League, helped by the fact that Defoe departed to the MLS, and both Adebayor and Soldado were in questionable form, and he ended the season with 4 goals in all competitions, with some impressive performances giving him enough support from the Spurs faithful that he was kept onboard for another season by new manager Mauricio Pocchetino.

Despite not being allowed much playing time in the Premier League, Kane saw himself being used as the lead striker in the Europa League, and from the very beginning of the season, he clearly had a point to prove. There was an unquestionable desire from him to score goals for the club that kept faith in him when many saw him as a lost cause. Every performance was better than the one previous, and after scoring a hat-trick against Asteras Tripoli (where he also had to play, unsuccessfully, between the sticks), the White Hart Lane faithful made it clear to Pocchetino who they wanted to be starting up front regularly.

Just a week later, at Villa Park, the travelling Spurs fans once again made it clear that they wanted Kane to be on the field, rather than sat on the bench, and late into the game, he was given the chance to impress. At 1-1, with just a minute left, Tottenham won a free-kick quite a distance away from goal. However, rather than a more likely candidate having a go, it was left to Harry Kane, who put it perfectly past Guzan, and at that moment, a new star was born. The local lad, having endured years of uncertainty in his career, made himself a Tottenham Hotspur favourite.

Ever since then, Kane has been truly relentless. In one game, against Swansea, he covered over 8 miles, constantly chasing down the opposition, and getting himself in the right place for his teammates. Performances such as these have become the norm for him, and with each game, it looks increasingly as if he will remain Tottenham's leading forward for years to come. The Chelsea result makes this seem ever more likely.

The path in which Harry Kane has lead thus far in his career has been quite incredible for a 21 year-old. It's rare to see a player nowadays show so much desire to repay the fans who have shown them support, and it makes it particularly special that he did so for his boyhood club. Through hard work and perseverance, it has got to the stage where many are suggesting he should be called up for England. Quite a rise for a player who on numerous occasions looked set to achieve little at Tottenham.

Could Manchester United be set for a long-term absence from European football?

Manchester United had an almost faultless pre-season campaign. Not only did they beat some of Europe's strongest sides, but they also bought in two exciting players in Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera for a combined fee of around £60 million. Things were looking good, and the talk around the red side of Manchester was that Louis Van Gaal was going to patch over the cracks left by David Moyes' poor performance in charge of United the season before.

With the buzz being generated by fans and media alike, one would be forgiven for thinking that United's opener to Swansea City at Old Trafford would end in an emphatic victory for Van Gaal's side. So when the game finished 2-1 to the visitors, courtesy of a Gylfi Sigurdsson winner in the second half, many fans were left shocked. The talk of a new chapter at Manchester United was immediately questioned.

The next challenge for Van Gaal was a trip to the Stadium of Light, to face Gus Poyet's Sunderland. This fixture last season will be remembered by many for Adnan Januzaj's fantastic display, scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory. This time around, however, there was nothing for either set of fans to savour. A dire 1-1 draw, which left United on just 1 point after two games, and a large portion of United fans began to talk down their chances of even qualifying for Europe this season.

At this point, the best thing for United should have been a nice and simple cup match against weaker opposition, and quite conveniently, they had exactly that. A trip to Milton Keynes to face the MK Dons, two divisions below them, and an opportunity for Van Gaal to get his first competitive win on the board, and restore some confidence among the United fans.

Now, for one reason or another, Van Gaal fielded a very weak side against the Dons, handing starts to some of their inexperienced youth, while leaving out game changers such as Rooney and Van Persie. This proved to be a costly decision, as at the final whistle, it was the MK Dons faithful who were celebrating victory over the 2008 Champions League winners. But it wasn't a lucky 'snatch-and-grab' victory for the Dons. It was an emphatic 4-0 victory, which sent shockwaves over the footballing world, and after just 3 games, Van Gaal's side looked battered, bruised, and completely demotivated.

So, after a draw and two losses, things are currently looking uncertain for Manchester United. What they really need is an injection of talent into the side, talent which are able to win points and restore confidence into the side. Luckily, the war chest which United possess is seemingly endless, and in the past few weeks, World Cup finalists Angel Di Maria and Marcos Rojo have both joined the side. 

In most cases, a side containing Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria, Robin Van Persie and Juan Mata shouldn't struggle for goals, and shouldn't be losing too many games, either. However, in one way, these big players are taking the attention away from the faults in the team. For one, the defence which United have lacks both depth and genuine quality. Luke Shaw has fitness issues, as do Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Rafael, whereas Jonny Evans is inconsistent, and Marcos Rojo could take a while to adapt to the new environment. What's worse is that the replacements for these players are scarce; Tyler Blackett and Jesse Lingard have both been used in defensive positions in the Premier League already, and they're simply not Premier League standard.

The midfield also has it's weak points, too. Going forward, there isn't a problem. It's when they're required to track back that they may struggle. Ander Herrera isn't the type of midfielder to win the ball back, and Tom Cleverley... Well, he's just Tom Cleverley. Michael Carrick is another option, but he's not what he was a few seasons ago, and injuries look to be getting to him now.

The current Manchester United side certainly lacks balance. As they commonly say, forwards win you games, whereas defenders win you titles, and I'm not convinced that United's defensive options are competent enough. Compare them to their Europa League rivals, Tottenham and Everton, and you'll find that both of these teams have well balanced squads, while also having depth, and it's safe to say that United lack both of these qualities.

It's only early days so far. Nobody can rule out anything at this stage. However, unless United work hard before the transfer window closes to bring in defensive quality, to bring balance and depth to the side, it looks as though Van Gaal's side may be set for another season without European football at the end of it.

Dele Alli shows how English youth should be developed

Earlier this year, FA Chairman Greg Dyke made several proposals to change the structure of English football. Quite easily the most controversial of these proposals was for the Football League to be given a fifth tier, between League Two and the Conference, where Premier League teams would be able to field their reserve teams in order for younger players to gain valuable experience against professional players.

At the time of these proposals, the Football League had just finished for another season, and for one player, MK Dons midfielder Dele Alli, it was a success. He had seen himself go from a mere youth prospect to an indispensable member of the Dons' side in just 9 months, and was garnering interest from just about every top English side. Surprisingly, though, he is yet to leave the club.

On the 26th of August, Dele put in a marvellous performance against Manchester United in the League Cup, dominating the likes of Anderson and Nick Powell in the middle of the park in a shocking 4-0 victory for the home side, and in the process, earned his 50th appearance for the club.

So, why is it that there aren't more 18 year olds in the country who are as talented as he is? The reason for that is simple: the majority of youth prospects in the Football League aren't given enough time to develop at their own clubs before being snapped up by the vultures that are the Premier League sides.

Take John Bostock for example. Bostock was another player who at one point in their career was regarded as the next big thing in English football, a line we hear all too often these days. He graduated from the well-respected Crystal Palace academy at a young age, and made his debut at just 15 years of age, making him the youngest Palace player ever.

However, after just a handful of first-team appearances, he was signed by Tottenham Hotspur, and stayed there for 5 years, most of which was spent on loan to other clubs. Now, a year from being released by the North London club, he finds himself playing in the second division of Belgium. Not exactly where you'd expect the 'next big thing' to be playing at the age of 22.

Now, I'm sure that if you asked Bostock now whether he regrets leaving Crystal Palace as early in his career as he did, he'd say yes. If he had been given just one season to break into the Palace first team and gain experience playing against men twice a week, then he would have joined Tottenham with invaluable amounts of experience and physicality, qualities that you have to work for rather than being gifted at birth.

That's one of the reasons why Dele Alli will be such a success. On his league debut vs Coventry City in 2012, at the age of just 16, he looked out of place. The talent was definitely there, but talent means little if you can't ride a challenge, or if you're knocked off the ball easily. Now, 20 months later, he has had weekly first team football where he's been given the chance to play against men rather than boys, and most MK Dons fans will agree that nowadays, Dele is the most likely player on the pitch to be putting in tough tackles and winning jostles for the ball.

Due to the experience he's picked up from playing weekly first team football, he could now join a Premier League side and would be more likely than most academy players to be chosen for the men's team. Why? Because he's been in that environment already. Whereas Bostock had to gain experience out on loan, Dele already has the experience, and should he stay at MK Dons until the end of this season, then he would have played close to 100 games in his career, which is a rarity for anybody less than 20 years old.

Of course, Dele Alli isn't the only case of Football League experience benefitting youngsters. Just look at Will Hughes at Derby. Almost 100 games played in the Championship at the age of just 19, meaning that should he join a club such as Liverpool as he's been rumoured to, then he'd join with the experience to match his talent, and Rodgers wouldn't hesitate to give him chances in the Premier League, as he already knows what it's like playing against men.

Other clubs such as Crewe Alexandra, Nottingham Forest and Plymouth Argyle are further examples of how to correctly handle young players, as each of them find themselves fielding academy graduates on a regular basis. Crewe especially have given the likes of Nick Powell and Max Clayton a platform in which to gain valuable experience and enhance their prospects of becoming successful players.

So, was criticism of Greg Dyke's proposal to introduce a new league for reserve teams correct? Yes. What the FA should be doing instead is encouraging the younger first team players in the Football League to remain at their clubs until they've matured, in which case they won't be so out of place playing in the Premier League. Perhaps then, English football will see a solid new crop of talented young players rise the ranks and eventually play in the Premier League.