The North London derby was about to begin. The cameras were in the tunnels, their lenses trained on the men who seemed set to take their teams on to the field, Arsenal's Per Mertesacker and Tottenham's Harry Kane. It was only at the last minute that Spurs captain Hugo Lloris emerged from the dressing room to take his place at the front of the line.
Yet if Kane looked the leader, it is scarcely surprising. He has made the swift journey from obscurity to ubiquity. He leads from the front on the pitch, performing with a persistence and a prominence that is anathema to the strikers who concentrate their efforts on the penalty area. He is Tottenham’s top scorer and talisman, the fans’ favourite whose name is sung longest and loudest.
Kane tends to pick up most of the man-of-the-match awards. He does virtually all of the post-match interviews, too. It can feel that everyone else is talking about Kane and that he is that rarity in a very polarised sport. They all seem to like him.
Arsene Wenger’s response to a potentially damaging derby defeat was to suggest Kane gets an England call-up. “If you don’t put him in there, someone will give him a passport from another country,” the Frenchman said.
The bigger the game, the more he seems to relish it. Kane’s 2015 already includes match-winning doubles against two of the elite sides, Chelsea and Arsenal. He meets a third, Liverpool, on Tuesday, looking to cement his reputation as the amiable assassin.
Kane brings a boyish enthusiasm and a seeming lack of personal guile which are allied with a burgeoning range of skills. Once the criticism was that he didn’t have an outstanding attribute. Now he is lauded for excelling in different ways.
Take his winner against Arsenal, a header of remarkable technique and accuracy. There was the skill and composure he showed to elude Nemanja Matic and curl a shot through John Terry’s legs and into the corner of the Chelsea net.
The thumping volley against West Brom. The late free kick at Aston Villa. He has a range that is convincing growing numbers of people that while he is a footballer enjoying irresistible momentum, he is also the genuine article.
It is astonishing to think he didn’t start a league game this season before November.
That is part of Kane’s charm. Few tipped him for greatness. Even Mauricio Pochettino, a manager with a marked willingness to trust young players, took time to be persuaded of his merits.
Loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City and Norwich City were unexceptional. His recent rise is evidence that talent was not enough; a perpetual quest to improve is why a squad player was transformed into Hurricane Harry Kane, a one-man cyclone. Now no Premier League footballer can rival his 22-goal total this season.
He is frontrunner for Young Player of the Year award. And as defences can testify, Kane keeps on running. It is why the spotlight always seems to shine on him.
Follow us at our new home on Twitter @NatSportUAE
