Harry Kane’s Irish roots run deeper than you might think.
ENGLAND’S all-time top goalscorer’s Irish roots are no secret, but did you know how close to home they actually are?
There were huge celebrations in London last night as Harry Kane was awarded football’s greatest individual honour, but people in the Treaty County can also share in the celebrations.
While Kane has spent his career scoring goals for fun in England, Germany, and on the international stage, a little piece of his family history can be traced back to County Limerick.
The striker’s paternal grandmother, Teresa Fitzgerald, was born in Caherline, just outside Caherconlish, before emigrating to Britain during the 1950s. His grandfather, Mike Kane, hailed from County Galway.
So, while Kane has spent his international career leading the Three Lions out at World Cups and European Championships, there is a definite Irish connection behind one of football’s greatest names.
However, the Limerick link does not end there. Kane is also a descendant of Jim Flood, a member of the Limerick team that beat Kilkenny to win the county’s first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1897.
That means the 33-year-old has a connection not only to the Treaty County, but also to a significant chapter in its sporting history. Having scored 543 career goals to date, it should come as no surprise that Limerick hurling can be found in his sporting DNA.
Kane has gone on to become both Tottenham Hotspurs’ and England’s all-time leading goalscorer and has scored 156 goals in 159 appearances for Bayern Munich during his successful quest for the Ballon D’or.
With the striker showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, his family connection gives Limerick supporters an extra reason to keep an eye on what comes next in his storied career.
After all, not every Ballon d’Or winner can trace their family history back to Caherline.