As an established member of the crop of young, attacking, English full-backs, there was perhaps no better place to for Kane Vincent-Young to learn his trade than in Tottenham Hotspur's academy – particularly at a time when the first team was filled with Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Benoît Assou-Ekotto.

At 18, Kane found himself released from the Spurs academy and, like many in the game, it may have been all too easy to fall through the net and not go on to achieve the heights he has so far. A recent article in the Athletic highlighted the severity and impact that an academy release can have upon the lives of young footballers. Devonte Redmond for example, spent 13 years at Manchester United’s academy all to be notified by a tweet that he would no longer be a part of the club. As Redmond says, he was cast astray “with no real support network.”  

Luckily for Kane, the presence of a strong support network has always been there and in our giveaway session, he credits his family for always giving him incredible support. Along with his family, a key member of that network is good mate Harry Winks, the England and Tottenham Midfielder.  After a four year spell at Colchester United, Kane now finds himself at Ipswich Town, where the challenge of playing in front of big crowds and for a club with such an esteemed history is something he’s relishing. 

Before the pandemic, his formed earned him League One player of the Month in his first month, earning the respect of former players and fans alike. Kane has been using the time provided by lockdown to call local season ticket holders like 73-year-old John Hassey. Its Hassey’s analysis of Kane, describing him as “so grounded”, that adds further evidence against the argument that modern footballers are becoming increasingly disengaged from their clubs’ fans. Kane is therefore a sportsman in touch with so many more aspects of life aside from the sport and as a socially conscious footballer, with an interest in reading and music, and an ability to talk openly about mental health, he is deserving of all success.

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