How Tottenham reacted to Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or
Never before have I tuned into the Ballon d'Or ceremony live, and I'm not sure if I ever will again.
I sat through hours of Thierry Henry hosting awkwardness, untimely commercial breaks and extensive Spanish-spoken speeches on Monday night, but it was all worth it.
The show concluded with the announcement of the Men's Ballon d'Or, with three leading contenders sitting in the front row at the London Palladium. There sat Kylian Mbappé, riding high off his El Clásico heroics; Lamine Yamal, last year's runner-up and World Cup winner; and Harry Kane, backing his 73 goals for club and country to do the talking.
While Yamal and Mbappé embarked embarked on nauseating election-like campaigning in September, Kane refused to engage. His PR tour was modest at best, and voters bought the humility.
Fittingly, it was Ronaldo Názario who uttered the two words that Tottenham and England's record goalscorer couldn't quite believe. The "one-season wonder" had just been crowned the world's best; a legacy immortalised.
Tottenham reacts to Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or
As he stood in front of an audience laden with greats past, present and future, Kane was shifty. He didn't quite know where to put his hands amid an attempt to rationalise what he'd just achieved.
A speech was prepared on flashcards, surely taking him back to his days at Chingford Foundation School, revising for his GCSEs. Kane was keen to laud those responsible for thrusting him into his current lofty standing, and he ensured that Tottenham Hotspur got their shoutout.
“I want to say thank you to Tottenham Hotspur as well," Kane said. "I wouldn't be where I am here today without Tottenham, for sure. You allowed me to live my dream. All the ups and downs along with way on that journey has led me to this moment.”
One of our own. How else would the club pay homage?
Kane's achievement was recognised universally, with English icons Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard among those to congratulate their compatriot on social media. His partner in crime at this summer's World Cup, Jude Bellingham, commented a goat emoji on England's Instagram post, lauding their star sharpshooter.
Then came the Spurs boys. "Deserved more then anyone, huge congratulations my partner," Son Heung-min wrote, enough to make any grown man weep. It was Kane's partnership with the South Korean that helped him evolve from outstanding finisher into one of the sport's great all-rounders.
Jan Vertonghen and Erik Lamela were also present in Instagram comments, while Dele Alli didn't hide his joy online, too.
As Kane celebrated like a Polar Bear in Texas at a London nightclub after the ceremony, he was joined by close friends Ryan Mason, also in attendance at the Palladium, as well as Matt Doherty, Eric Dier and Ben Davies.
What a night. He's no longer ours, but us Spurs supporters have every right to rejoice.
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